diff --git a/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/context/PortletSessionContextIntegrationInterceptor.java b/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/context/PortletSessionContextIntegrationInterceptor.java
index b2ea1008d5..08c59b60e4 100644
--- a/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/context/PortletSessionContextIntegrationInterceptor.java
+++ b/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/context/PortletSessionContextIntegrationInterceptor.java
@@ -223,14 +223,6 @@ public class PortletSessionContextIntegrationInterceptor
 	private boolean preHandle(PortletRequest request, PortletResponse response,
 			Object handler) throws Exception {
 
-		// make sure the holder is clear
-		if (SecurityContextHolder.getContext() != null) {
-			if (logger.isWarnEnabled())
-				logger.warn("SecurityContextHolder should have been null but contained: '"
-					+ SecurityContextHolder.getContext() + "'; setting to null now");
-			SecurityContextHolder.clearContext();
-		}
-
 		PortletSession portletSession = null;
 		boolean portletSessionExistedAtStartOfRequest = false;
 
diff --git a/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/portlet/PortletAuthenticationProvider.java b/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/portlet/PortletAuthenticationProvider.java
index 6f8fa92148..cc4879f27f 100644
--- a/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/portlet/PortletAuthenticationProvider.java
+++ b/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/portlet/PortletAuthenticationProvider.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.acegisecurity.providers.portlet;
 
 import java.security.Principal;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import javax.portlet.PortletRequest;
 
@@ -130,19 +131,26 @@ public class PortletAuthenticationProvider
 		// build the resulting successful authentication token
 		PortletAuthenticationToken result = new PortletAuthenticationToken(
 				user, authentication.getCredentials(), user.getAuthorities());
+		result.setAuthenticated(true);
 
 		// see if the detail property on the request is the PortletRequest
 		if (authentication.getDetails() instanceof PortletRequest) {
-			// place the USER_INFO map into the details property of the result
+			// if available, place the USER_INFO map into the details property of the result
 			PortletRequest request = (PortletRequest)authentication.getDetails();
-			result.setDetails(request.getAttribute(PortletRequest.USER_INFO));
+			Map userInfo = null;
+			try {
+				userInfo = (Map)request.getAttribute(PortletRequest.USER_INFO);
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				logger.warn("unable to retrieve USER_INFO map from portlet request", e);
+			}
+			result.setDetails(userInfo);
 		} else {
 			// copy any other details information forward
 			result.setDetails(authentication.getDetails());
 		}
 
 		if (logger.isDebugEnabled())
-			logger.debug("portlet authentication succeeded: " + authentication);
+			logger.debug("portlet authentication succeeded: " + result);
 
 		return result;
 	}
diff --git a/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ui/portlet/PortletProcessingInterceptor.java b/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ui/portlet/PortletProcessingInterceptor.java
index 97eb5fa674..e90f30f99a 100644
--- a/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ui/portlet/PortletProcessingInterceptor.java
+++ b/sandbox/portlet/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/ui/portlet/PortletProcessingInterceptor.java
@@ -206,7 +206,12 @@ public class PortletProcessingInterceptor implements
 
 		// last try entries in USER_INFO if any attributes were defined
 		if (this.userNameAttributes != null) {
-			Map userInfo = (Map)request.getAttribute(PortletRequest.USER_INFO);
+			Map userInfo = null;
+			try {
+				userInfo = (Map)request.getAttribute(PortletRequest.USER_INFO);
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				logger.warn("unable to retrieve USER_INFO map from portlet request", e);
+			}
 			if (userInfo != null) {
 			    Iterator i = this.userNameAttributes.iterator();
 			    while(i.hasNext()) {