diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts
index 2c2224e878..9237c30db9 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.actions.ts
@@ -402,10 +402,10 @@ export class RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonAction implements Action {
  */
 export class RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonSuccessAction implements Action {
   public type: string = AuthActionTypes.RETRIEVE_AUTHENTICATED_EPERSON_SUCCESS;
-  payload: EPerson;
+  payload: string;
 
-  constructor(user: EPerson) {
-    this.payload = user ;
+  constructor(userId: string) {
+    this.payload = userId ;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.effects.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.effects.ts
index d153748fb9..35d5e7b043 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.effects.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.effects.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import {
   RetrieveAuthMethodsSuccessAction,
   RetrieveTokenAction
 } from './auth.actions';
+import { hasValue } from '../../shared/empty.util';
 
 @Injectable()
 export class AuthEffects {
@@ -97,8 +98,15 @@ export class AuthEffects {
   public retrieveAuthenticatedEperson$: Observable<Action> = this.actions$.pipe(
     ofType(AuthActionTypes.RETRIEVE_AUTHENTICATED_EPERSON),
     switchMap((action: RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonAction) => {
-      return this.authService.retrieveAuthenticatedUserByHref(action.payload).pipe(
-        map((user: EPerson) => new RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonSuccessAction(user)),
+      const impersonatedUserID = this.authService.getImpersonateID();
+      let user$: Observable<EPerson>;
+      if (hasValue(impersonatedUserID)) {
+        user$ = this.authService.retrieveAuthenticatedUserById(impersonatedUserID);
+      } else {
+        user$ = this.authService.retrieveAuthenticatedUserByHref(action.payload);
+      }
+      return user$.pipe(
+        map((user: EPerson) => new RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonSuccessAction(user.id)),
         catchError((error) => observableOf(new RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonErrorAction(error))));
     })
   );
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts
index 19fd162d3f..16990b35a8 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.reducer.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import {
   SetRedirectUrlAction
 } from './auth.actions';
 // import models
-import { EPerson } from '../eperson/models/eperson.model';
 import { AuthTokenInfo } from './models/auth-token-info.model';
 import { AuthMethod } from './models/auth.method';
 import { AuthMethodType } from './models/auth.method-type';
@@ -49,8 +48,8 @@ export interface AuthState {
   // true when refreshing token
   refreshing?: boolean;
 
-  // the authenticated user
-  user?: EPerson;
+  // the authenticated user's id
+  userId?: string;
 
   // all authentication Methods enabled at the backend
   authMethods?: AuthMethod[];
@@ -112,7 +111,7 @@ export function authReducer(state: any = initialState, action: AuthActions): Aut
         error: undefined,
         loading: false,
         info: undefined,
-        user: (action as RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonSuccessAction).payload
+        userId: (action as RetrieveAuthenticatedEpersonSuccessAction).payload
       });
 
     case AuthActionTypes.AUTHENTICATE_ERROR:
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ export function authReducer(state: any = initialState, action: AuthActions): Aut
         loading: false,
         info: undefined,
         refreshing: false,
-        user: undefined
+        userId: undefined
       });
 
     case AuthActionTypes.REDIRECT_AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED:
@@ -155,7 +154,7 @@ export function authReducer(state: any = initialState, action: AuthActions): Aut
         loaded: false,
         loading: false,
         info: (action as RedirectWhenTokenExpiredAction as RedirectWhenAuthenticationIsRequiredAction).payload,
-        user: undefined
+        userId: undefined
       });
 
     case AuthActionTypes.REGISTRATION:
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
index 46d02a03cf..7d642e60d2 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { HttpHeaders } from '@angular/common/http';
 import { REQUEST, RESPONSE } from '@nguniversal/express-engine/tokens';
 
 import { Observable, of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
-import { distinctUntilChanged, filter, map, startWith, take, withLatestFrom } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { distinctUntilChanged, filter, map, startWith, switchMap, take, withLatestFrom } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { RouterReducerState } from '@ngrx/router-store';
 import { select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 import { CookieAttributes } from 'js-cookie';
@@ -14,9 +14,15 @@ import { AuthRequestService } from './auth-request.service';
 import { HttpOptions } from '../dspace-rest-v2/dspace-rest-v2.service';
 import { AuthStatus } from './models/auth-status.model';
 import { AuthTokenInfo, TOKENITEM } from './models/auth-token-info.model';
-import { hasValue, isEmpty, isNotEmpty, isNotNull, isNotUndefined } from '../../shared/empty.util';
+import { hasValue, hasValueOperator, isEmpty, isNotEmpty, isNotNull, isNotUndefined } from '../../shared/empty.util';
 import { CookieService } from '../services/cookie.service';
-import { getAuthenticationToken, getRedirectUrl, isAuthenticated, isTokenRefreshing } from './selectors';
+import {
+  getAuthenticatedUserId,
+  getAuthenticationToken,
+  getRedirectUrl,
+  isAuthenticated,
+  isTokenRefreshing
+} from './selectors';
 import { AppState, routerStateSelector } from '../../app.reducer';
 import {
   CheckAuthenticationTokenAction,
@@ -164,7 +170,7 @@ export class AuthService {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns the authenticated user
+   * Returns the authenticated user by href
    * @returns {User}
    */
   public retrieveAuthenticatedUserByHref(userHref: string): Observable<EPerson> {
@@ -173,6 +179,29 @@ export class AuthService {
     )
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the authenticated user by id
+   * @returns {User}
+   */
+  public retrieveAuthenticatedUserById(userId: string): Observable<EPerson> {
+    return this.epersonService.findById(userId).pipe(
+      getAllSucceededRemoteDataPayload()
+    )
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the authenticated user from the store
+   * @returns {User}
+   */
+  public getAuthenticatedUserFromStore(): Observable<EPerson> {
+    return this.store.pipe(
+      select(getAuthenticatedUserId),
+      hasValueOperator(),
+      switchMap((id: string) => this.epersonService.findById(id)),
+      getAllSucceededRemoteDataPayload()
+    )
+  }
+
   /**
    * Checks if token is present into browser storage and is valid.
    */
diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/selectors.ts b/src/app/core/auth/selectors.ts
index 4e51bc1fc9..173f82e810 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/selectors.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/selectors.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { createSelector } from '@ngrx/store';
  */
 import { AuthState } from './auth.reducer';
 import { AppState } from '../../app.reducer';
-import { EPerson } from '../eperson/models/eperson.model';
 
 /**
  * Returns the user state.
@@ -36,12 +35,11 @@ const _isAuthenticatedLoaded = (state: AuthState) => state.loaded;
 
 /**
  * Return the users state
- * NOTE: when state is REHYDRATED user object lose prototype so return always a new EPerson object
- * @function _getAuthenticatedUser
+ * @function _getAuthenticatedUserId
  * @param {State} state
- * @returns {EPerson}
+ * @returns {string} User ID
  */
-const _getAuthenticatedUser = (state: AuthState) => Object.assign(new EPerson(), state.user);
+const _getAuthenticatedUserId = (state: AuthState) => state.userId;
 
 /**
  * Returns the authentication error.
@@ -119,13 +117,13 @@ const _getAuthenticationMethods = (state: AuthState) => state.authMethods;
 export const getAuthenticationMethods = createSelector(getAuthState, _getAuthenticationMethods);
 
 /**
- * Returns the authenticated user
- * @function getAuthenticatedUser
+ * Returns the authenticated user id
+ * @function getAuthenticatedUserId
  * @param {AuthState} state
  * @param {any} props
- * @return {User}
+ * @return {string} User ID
  */
-export const getAuthenticatedUser = createSelector(getAuthState, _getAuthenticatedUser);
+export const getAuthenticatedUserId = createSelector(getAuthState, _getAuthenticatedUserId);
 
 /**
  * Returns the authentication error.
diff --git a/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts b/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts
index 5a2736593a..8f4cd492a2 100644
--- a/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/profile-page/profile-page.component.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 import { Component, OnInit, ViewChild } from '@angular/core';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
 import { EPerson } from '../core/eperson/models/eperson.model';
-import { select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
-import { getAuthenticatedUser } from '../core/auth/selectors';
-import { AppState } from '../app.reducer';
 import { ProfilePageMetadataFormComponent } from './profile-page-metadata-form/profile-page-metadata-form.component';
 import { ProfilePageSecurityFormComponent } from './profile-page-security-form/profile-page-security-form.component';
 import { NotificationsService } from '../shared/notifications/notifications.service';
@@ -13,9 +10,10 @@ import { RemoteData } from '../core/data/remote-data';
 import { PaginatedList } from '../core/data/paginated-list';
 import { filter, switchMap, tap } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { EPersonDataService } from '../core/eperson/eperson-data.service';
-import { getAllSucceededRemoteData, getRemoteDataPayload, getSucceededRemoteData } from '../core/shared/operators';
+import { getAllSucceededRemoteData, getRemoteDataPayload } from '../core/shared/operators';
 import { hasValue } from '../shared/empty.util';
 import { followLink } from '../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
+import { AuthService } from '../core/auth/auth.service';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-profile-page',
@@ -50,15 +48,14 @@ export class ProfilePageComponent implements OnInit {
    */
   NOTIFICATIONS_PREFIX = 'profile.notifications.';
 
-  constructor(private store: Store<AppState>,
+  constructor(private authService: AuthService,
               private notificationsService: NotificationsService,
               private translate: TranslateService,
               private epersonService: EPersonDataService) {
   }
 
   ngOnInit(): void {
-    this.user$ = this.store.pipe(
-      select(getAuthenticatedUser),
+    this.user$ = this.authService.getAuthenticatedUserFromStore().pipe(
       filter((user: EPerson) => hasValue(user.id)),
       switchMap((user: EPerson) => this.epersonService.findById(user.id, followLink('groups'))),
       getAllSucceededRemoteData(),
diff --git a/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/auth-nav-menu.component.ts b/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/auth-nav-menu.component.ts
index 1b39ad15d9..37a45e1b20 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/auth-nav-menu.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/auth-nav-menu.component.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ import { fadeInOut, fadeOut } from '../animations/fade';
 import { HostWindowService } from '../host-window.service';
 import { AppState, routerStateSelector } from '../../app.reducer';
 import { isNotUndefined } from '../empty.util';
-import { getAuthenticatedUser, isAuthenticated, isAuthenticationLoading } from '../../core/auth/selectors';
+import { isAuthenticated, isAuthenticationLoading } from '../../core/auth/selectors';
 import { EPerson } from '../../core/eperson/models/eperson.model';
-import { LOGIN_ROUTE, LOGOUT_ROUTE } from '../../core/auth/auth.service';
+import { AuthService, LOGIN_ROUTE, LOGOUT_ROUTE } from '../../core/auth/auth.service';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-auth-nav-menu',
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ export class AuthNavMenuComponent implements OnInit {
   public sub: Subscription;
 
   constructor(private store: Store<AppState>,
-              private windowService: HostWindowService
+              private windowService: HostWindowService,
+              private authService: AuthService
   ) {
     this.isXsOrSm$ = this.windowService.isXsOrSm();
   }
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ export class AuthNavMenuComponent implements OnInit {
     // set loading
     this.loading = this.store.pipe(select(isAuthenticationLoading));
 
-    this.user = this.store.pipe(select(getAuthenticatedUser));
+    this.user = this.authService.getAuthenticatedUserFromStore();
 
     this.showAuth = this.store.pipe(
       select(routerStateSelector),
diff --git a/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/user-menu/user-menu.component.ts b/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/user-menu/user-menu.component.ts
index 2d57a837c7..81d9b3d555 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/user-menu/user-menu.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/auth-nav-menu/user-menu/user-menu.component.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ import { select, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 
 import { EPerson } from '../../../core/eperson/models/eperson.model';
 import { AppState } from '../../../app.reducer';
-import { getAuthenticatedUser, isAuthenticationLoading } from '../../../core/auth/selectors';
+import { isAuthenticationLoading } from '../../../core/auth/selectors';
 import { MYDSPACE_ROUTE } from '../../../+my-dspace-page/my-dspace-page.component';
 import { getProfileModulePath } from '../../../app-routing.module';
+import { AuthService } from '../../../core/auth/auth.service';
 
 /**
  * This component represents the user nav menu.
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ export class UserMenuComponent implements OnInit {
    */
   public profileRoute = getProfileModulePath();
 
-  constructor(private store: Store<AppState>) {
+  constructor(private store: Store<AppState>,
+              private authService: AuthService) {
   }
 
   /**
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ export class UserMenuComponent implements OnInit {
     this.loading$ = this.store.pipe(select(isAuthenticationLoading));
 
     // set user
-    this.user$ = this.store.pipe(select(getAuthenticatedUser));
+    this.user$ = this.authService.getAuthenticatedUserFromStore();
 
   }
 }