diff --git a/jupyterhub/apihandlers/auth.py b/jupyterhub/apihandlers/auth.py
index 193e4ce9..73419e56 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/apihandlers/auth.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/apihandlers/auth.py
@@ -12,9 +12,24 @@ from .base import APIHandler
 
 
 
-class AuthorizationsAPIHandler(APIHandler):
+class TokenAPIHandler(APIHandler):
     @token_authenticated
     def get(self, token):
+        orm_token = self.db.query(orm.APIToken).filter(orm.APIToken.token == token).first()
+        if orm_token is None:
+            raise web.HTTPError(404)
+        self.write(json.dumps({
+            'user' : orm_token.user.name,
+        }))
+
+class CookieAPIHandler(APIHandler):
+    @token_authenticated
+    def get(self, cookie_name):
+        cookie_value = self.request.body
+        btoken = self.get_secure_cookie(cookie_name, cookie_value)
+        if not btoken:
+            raise web.HTTPError(404)
+        token = btoken.decode('utf8', 'replace')
         orm_token = self.db.query(orm.CookieToken).filter(orm.CookieToken.token == token).first()
         if orm_token is None:
             raise web.HTTPError(404)
@@ -23,5 +38,6 @@ class AuthorizationsAPIHandler(APIHandler):
         }))
 
 default_handlers = [
-    (r"/api/authorizations/([^/]+)", AuthorizationsAPIHandler),
+    (r"/api/authorizations/cookie/([^/]+)", CookieAPIHandler),
+    (r"/api/authorizations/token/([^/]+)", TokenAPIHandler),
 ]
diff --git a/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py b/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py
index b021d490..669388c2 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/handlers/base.py
@@ -83,12 +83,15 @@ class BaseHandler(RequestHandler):
 
     def get_current_user_cookie(self):
         """get_current_user from a cookie token"""
-        token = self.get_cookie(self.hub.server.cookie_name, None)
-        if token:
+        btoken = self.get_secure_cookie(self.hub.server.cookie_name)
+        if btoken:
+            token = btoken.decode('utf8', 'replace')
             cookie_token = orm.CookieToken.find(self.db, token)
             if cookie_token:
                 return cookie_token.user
             else:
+                # don't log the token itself
+                self.log.warn("Invalid cookie token")
                 # have cookie, but it's not valid. Clear it and start over.
                 self.clear_cookie(self.hub.server.cookie_name, path=self.hub.server.base_url)
 
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ class BaseHandler(RequestHandler):
             cookie_token = user.new_cookie_token()
             self.db.add(cookie_token)
             self.db.commit()
-            self.set_cookie(
+            self.set_secure_cookie(
                 user.server.cookie_name,
                 cookie_token.token,
                 path=user.server.base_url,
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ class BaseHandler(RequestHandler):
             cookie_token = user.new_cookie_token()
             self.db.add(cookie_token)
             self.db.commit()
-            self.set_cookie(
+            self.set_secure_cookie(
                 self.hub.server.cookie_name,
                 cookie_token.token,
                 path=self.hub.server.base_url)
diff --git a/jupyterhub/orm.py b/jupyterhub/orm.py
index 8d3ae39f..5abbbfd8 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/orm.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/orm.py
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ class User(Base):
             hub = db.query(Hub).first()
         self.server = Server(
             cookie_name='%s-%s' % (hub.server.cookie_name, self.name),
-            cookie_secret=hub.server.cookie_secret,
             base_url=url_path_join(base_url, 'user', self.name),
         )
         db.add(self.server)
diff --git a/jupyterhub/singleuser.py b/jupyterhub/singleuser.py
index fe04236a..1ac4c58b 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/singleuser.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/singleuser.py
@@ -28,19 +28,20 @@ if V(IPython.__version__) < V('2.2'):
 # which authenticate via the central auth server.
 
 
-def verify_token(self, token):
+def verify_token(self, cookie_name, encrypted_cookie):
     """monkeypatch method for token verification"""
-    token_cache = self.settings['token_cache']
-    if token in token_cache:
+    cookie_cache = self.settings['cookie_cache']
+    if encrypted_cookie in cookie_cache:
         # we've seen this token before, don't ask upstream again
-        return token_cache[token]
+        return cookie_cache[encrypted_cookie]
     
     hub_api_url = self.settings['hub_api_url']
     hub_api_key = self.settings['hub_api_key']
     r = requests.get(url_path_join(
-        hub_api_url, "authorizations", token,
+        hub_api_url, "authorizations/cookie", cookie_name,
     ),
-        headers = {'Authorization' : 'token %s' % hub_api_key}
+        headers = {'Authorization' : 'token %s' % hub_api_key},
+        data=encrypted_cookie,
     )
     if r.status_code == 404:
         data = {'user' : ''}
@@ -49,16 +50,16 @@ def verify_token(self, token):
         data = None
     else:
         data = r.json()
-    token_cache[token] = data
+    cookie_cache[encrypted_cookie] = data
     return data
 
 
 def get_current_user(self):
     """alternative get_current_user to query the central server"""
     my_user = self.settings['user']
-    token = self.get_cookie(self.cookie_name, '')
-    if token:
-        auth_data = self.verify_token(token)
+    encrypted_cookie = self.get_cookie(self.cookie_name)
+    if encrypted_cookie:
+        auth_data = self.verify_token(self.cookie_name, encrypted_cookie)
         if not auth_data:
             # treat invalid token the same as no token
             return None
@@ -123,10 +124,9 @@ class SingleUserNotebookApp(NotebookApp):
         s = getattr(self, 'tornado_settings',
                 getattr(self, 'webapp_settings')
         )
-        s['token_cache'] = {}
+        s['cookie_cache'] = {}
         s['user'] = self.user
         s['hub_api_key'] = env.pop('JPY_API_TOKEN')
-        s['cookie_secret'] = env.pop('JPY_COOKIE_SECRET')
         s['cookie_name'] = self.cookie_name
         s['login_url'] = url_path_join(self.hub_prefix, 'login')
         s['hub_api_url'] = self.hub_api_url
diff --git a/jupyterhub/spawner.py b/jupyterhub/spawner.py
index 8c0d9349..f79bf4e1 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/spawner.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/spawner.py
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ class Spawner(LoggingConfigurable):
         for key in self.env_keep:
             if key in os.environ:
                 env[key] = os.environ[key]
-        env['JPY_COOKIE_SECRET'] = self.user.server.cookie_secret
         env['JPY_API_TOKEN'] = self.api_token
         return env
     
diff --git a/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py b/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py
index 90b0ab9b..ce914c6f 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/tests/test_api.py
@@ -48,23 +48,25 @@ def test_auth_api(app):
     
     # make a new cookie token
     user = db.query(orm.User).first()
+    api_token = user.new_api_token()
+    db.add(api_token)
     cookie_token = user.new_cookie_token()
     db.add(cookie_token)
     db.commit()
     
     # check success:
-    r = api_request(app, 'authorizations', cookie_token.token)
+    r = api_request(app, 'authorizations/token', api_token.token)
     assert r.status_code == 200
     reply = r.json()
     assert reply['user'] == user.name
     
     # check fail
-    r = api_request(app, 'authorizations', cookie_token.token,
+    r = api_request(app, 'authorizations/token', api_token.token,
         headers={'Authorization': 'no sir'},
     )
     assert r.status_code == 403
 
-    r = api_request(app, 'authorizations', cookie_token.token,
+    r = api_request(app, 'authorizations/token', api_token.token,
         headers={'Authorization': 'token: %s' % cookie_token.token},
     )
     assert r.status_code == 403