diff --git a/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py b/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py
index f6108818..dd6ce51b 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class BaseHandler(RequestHandler):
         if not match:
             return None
         token = match.group(1)
-        orm_token = self.db.query(orm.APIToken).filter(orm.APIToken.token == token).first()
+        orm_token = orm.APIToken.find(self.db, token)
         if orm_token is None:
             return None
         else:
@@ -83,8 +83,7 @@ class BaseHandler(RequestHandler):
         """get_current_user from a cookie token"""
         token = self.get_cookie(self.hub.server.cookie_name, None)
         if token:
-            cookie_token = self.db.query(orm.CookieToken).filter(
-                orm.CookieToken.token==token).first()
+            cookie_token = orm.CookieToken.find(self.db, token)
             if cookie_token:
                 return cookie_token.user
             else:
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ class BaseHandler(RequestHandler):
         
         return None if no such user
         """
-        return self.db.query(orm.User).filter(orm.User.name==name).first()
+        return orm.User.find(self.db, name)
 
     def user_from_username(self, username):
         """Get ORM User for username"""
diff --git a/jupyterhub/orm.py b/jupyterhub/orm.py
index 5233750b..34399a1b 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/orm.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/orm.py
@@ -262,6 +262,14 @@ class User(Base):
         """Return a new cookie token"""
         return self._new_token(CookieToken)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def find(cls, db, name):
+        """Find a user by name.
+
+        Returns None if not found.
+        """
+        return db.query(cls).filter(cls.name==name).first()
+
     @gen.coroutine
     def spawn(self, spawner_class, base_url='/', hub=None, config=None):
         db = inspect(self).session
@@ -321,6 +329,15 @@ class Token(object):
             u=self.user.name,
         )
 
+    @classmethod
+    def find(cls, db, token):
+        """Find a token object by value.
+
+        Returns None if not found.
+        """
+        return db.query(cls).filter(cls.token==token).first()
+
+
 
 class APIToken(Token, Base):
     """An API token"""
diff --git a/jupyterhub/tests/test_orm.py b/jupyterhub/tests/test_orm.py
index 8990f110..bd651942 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/tests/test_orm.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/tests/test_orm.py
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ def test_user(db):
     assert user.server.ip == u'localhost'
     assert user.state == {'pid': 4234}
 
+    found = orm.User.find(db, u'kaylee')
+    assert found.name == user.name
+    found = orm.User.find(db, u'badger')
+    assert found is None
+
 
 def test_tokens(db):
     user = orm.User(name=u'inara')
@@ -87,3 +92,7 @@ def test_tokens(db):
     assert len(user.api_tokens) == 1
     assert len(user.cookie_tokens) == 3
     
+    found = orm.CookieToken.find(db, token=token.token)
+    assert found.token == token.token
+    found = orm.APIToken.find(db, token.token)
+    assert found is None