diff --git a/django/contrib/auth/middleware.py b/django/contrib/auth/middleware.py
index f7106eb9be..9c49216c62 100644
--- a/django/contrib/auth/middleware.py
+++ b/django/contrib/auth/middleware.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-class RequestUserMiddleware:
-    def process_request(self, request):
+# TODO: this will be replaced by the muti-auth stuff
+class UserSource:
+    def get_user(self, request):
         from django.contrib.auth.models import User, SESSION_KEY
         try:
             user_id = request.session[SESSION_KEY]
@@ -9,5 +10,9 @@ class RequestUserMiddleware:
         except (AttributeError, KeyError, ValueError, User.DoesNotExist):
             from django.parts.auth import anonymoususers
             user = anonymoususers.AnonymousUser()
-        request.user = user
+        return user
+
+class RequestUserMiddleware:
+    def process_request(self, request):
+        request._user_source = UserSource()
         return None
diff --git a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
index c605114211..5d4707b6e1 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ class ModPythonRequest(http.HttpRequest):
             self._raw_post_data = self._req.read()
             return self._raw_post_data
 
+    def _get_user(self):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_user'):
+            self._user = self._user_source.get_user(self)
+        return self._user
+
+    def _set_user(self, value):
+        self._user = value
+
     GET = property(_get_get, _set_get)
     POST = property(_get_post, _set_post)
     COOKIES = property(_get_cookies, _set_cookies)
@@ -105,6 +113,7 @@ class ModPythonRequest(http.HttpRequest):
     META = property(_get_meta)
     REQUEST = property(_get_request)
     raw_post_data = property(_get_raw_post_data)
+    user = property(_get_user, _set_user)
 
 class ModPythonHandler(BaseHandler):
     def __call__(self, req):
diff --git a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
index 87fd1ef1e1..cf803eacfc 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
@@ -119,12 +119,21 @@ class WSGIRequest(http.HttpRequest):
             self._raw_post_data = self.environ['wsgi.input'].read(int(self.environ["CONTENT_LENGTH"]))
             return self._raw_post_data
 
+    def _get_user(self):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_user'):
+            self._user = self._user_source.get_user(self)
+        return self._user
+
+    def _set_user(self, value):
+        self._user = value
+
     GET = property(_get_get, _set_get)
     POST = property(_get_post, _set_post)
     COOKIES = property(_get_cookies, _set_cookies)
     FILES = property(_get_files)
     REQUEST = property(_get_request)
     raw_post_data = property(_get_raw_post_data)
+    user = property(_get_user, _set_user)
 
 class WSGIHandler(BaseHandler):
     def __call__(self, environ, start_response):