diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin_controller.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e1522da3163
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin_controller.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/**
+  A base admin controller that has access to the Discourse properties.
+
+  @class AdminController
+  @extends Discourse.Controller
+  @namespace Discourse
+  @module Discourse
+**/
+Discourse.AdminCustomizeController = Discourse.Controller.extend({});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin_user_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin_user_controller.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2565b8c8f59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin_user_controller.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/**
+  A controller related to viewing a user in the admin section
+
+  @class AdminUserController
+  @extends Discourse.ObjectController
+  @namespace Discourse
+  @module Discourse
+**/
+Discourse.AdminUserController = Discourse.ObjectController.extend({});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/admin.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/admin.js.handlebars
index 98c1b46ddb8..88c1d35b2bc 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/admin.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/admin.js.handlebars
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
       <ul class="nav nav-pills">
         <li>{{#linkTo 'admin.dashboard'}}{{i18n admin.dashboard.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
-        {{#if Discourse.currentUser.admin}}
+        {{#if currentUser.admin}}
           <li>{{#linkTo 'admin.site_settings'}}{{i18n admin.site_settings.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
           <li>{{#linkTo 'adminSiteContents'}}{{i18n admin.site_content.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
         {{/if}}
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
         <li>{{#linkTo 'admin.groups'}}{{i18n admin.groups.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
         <li>{{#linkTo 'admin.email_logs'}}{{i18n admin.email_logs.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
         <li>{{#linkTo 'adminFlags.active'}}{{i18n admin.flags.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
-        {{#if Discourse.currentUser.admin}}
+        {{#if currentUser.admin}}
           <li>{{#linkTo 'admin.customize'}}{{i18n admin.customize.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
           <li>{{#linkTo 'admin.api'}}{{i18n admin.api.title}}{{/linkTo}}</li>
         {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user.js.handlebars
index 15852282822..31fcab88a3d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user.js.handlebars
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     <div class='field'>{{i18n user.ip_address.title}}</div>
     <div class='value'>{{ip_address}}</div>
     <div class='controls'>
-      {{#if Discourse.currentUser.admin}}
+      {{#if currentUser.admin}}
       <button class='btn' {{action refreshBrowsers target="content"}}>
         {{i18n admin.user.refresh_browsers}}
       </button>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js
index 5a4c96210ea..5ec3d47a599 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/composer_controller.js
@@ -93,10 +93,12 @@ Discourse.ComposerController = Discourse.Controller.extend({
     }).then(function(opts) {
       opts = opts || {};
       _this.close();
+
+      var currentUser = Discourse.User.current();
       if (composer.get('creatingTopic')) {
-        Discourse.set('currentUser.topic_count', Discourse.User.current('topic_count') + 1);
+        currentUser.set('topic_count', currentUser.get('topic_count') + 1);
       } else {
-        Discourse.set('currentUser.reply_count', Discourse.User.current('reply_count') + 1);
+        currentUser.set('reply_count', currentUser.get('reply_count') + 1);
       }
       Discourse.URL.routeTo(opts.post.get('url'));
     }, function(error) {
@@ -151,7 +153,8 @@ Discourse.ComposerController = Discourse.Controller.extend({
     Discourse.ajax("/education/" + educationKey, {dataType: 'html'}).then(function(result) {
       composerController.set('educationContents', result);
     });
-  }.observes('typedReply', 'content.creatingTopic', 'Discourse.currentUser.reply_count'),
+
+  }.observes('typedReply', 'content.creatingTopic', 'currentUser.reply_count'),
 
   checkReplyLength: function() {
     this.set('typedReply', this.present('content.reply'));
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/controller.js
index 73e1e696623..ce298bced04 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/controller.js
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 /**
   A base controller for Discourse that includes Presence support.
 
-  @class Controller 
+  @class Controller
   @extends Ember.Controller
   @namespace Discourse
   @uses Discourse.Presence
   @module Discourse
-**/ 
-Discourse.Controller = Ember.Controller.extend(Discourse.Presence);
-
-
+**/
+Discourse.Controller = Ember.Controller.extend(Discourse.Presence, Discourse.HasCurrentUser);
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/list_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/list_controller.js
index ab19926dc5c..6eacd7f59cb 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/list_controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/list_controller.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
   @module Discourse
 **/
 Discourse.ListController = Discourse.Controller.extend({
-  currentUserBinding: 'Discourse.currentUser',
   categoryBinding: 'topicList.category',
   canCreateCategory: false,
   canCreateTopic: false,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/object_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/object_controller.js
index 32ae3f9ab2a..966c9c52fde 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/object_controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/object_controller.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 /**
   A custom object controller for Discourse
 
-  @class ObjectController 
+  @class ObjectController
   @extends Ember.ObjectController
   @namespace Discourse
   @uses Discourse.Presence
   @module Discourse
-**/ 
-Discourse.ObjectController = Ember.ObjectController.extend(Discourse.Presence);
+**/
+Discourse.ObjectController = Ember.ObjectController.extend(Discourse.Presence, Discourse.HasCurrentUser);
 
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic_controller.js
index 66da2a60236..a41d81aa2e5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic_controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/topic_controller.js
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ Discourse.TopicController = Discourse.ObjectController.extend(Discourse.Selected
   },
 
   /**
-    Clears the pin from a topic for the currentUser
+    Clears the pin from a topic for the currently logged in user
 
     @method clearPin
   **/
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/has_current_user.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/has_current_user.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b23d3a28761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/mixins/has_current_user.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/**
+  This mixin provides a `currentUser` property that can be used to retrieve information
+  about the currently logged in user. It is mostly useful to controllers so it can be
+  exposted to templates.
+
+  Outside of templates, code should probably use `Discourse.User.current()` instead of
+  this property.
+
+  @class Discourse.HasCurrentUser
+  @extends Ember.Mixin
+  @namespace Discourse
+  @module HasCurrentUser
+**/
+Discourse.HasCurrentUser = Em.Mixin.create({
+
+  /**
+    Returns a reference to the currently logged in user.
+
+    @method currentUser
+    @return {Discourse.User} the currently logged in user if present.
+  */
+  currentUser: function() {
+    return Discourse.User.current();
+  }.property().volatile()
+
+});
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic.js
index 812fa300935..28fbfe09de7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/topic.js
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ Discourse.Topic = Discourse.Model.extend({
   },
 
   /**
-    Clears the pin from a topic for the currentUser
+    Clears the pin from a topic for the currently logged in user
 
     @method clearPin
   **/
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
index 001a91408da..a4af0adc8cc 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ Discourse.User = Discourse.Model.extend({
       type: 'PUT'
     }).then(function(data) {
       user.set('bio_excerpt',data.user.bio_excerpt);
-      Discourse.set('currentUser.enable_quoting', user.get('enable_quoting'));
-      Discourse.set('currentUser.external_links_in_new_tab', user.get('external_links_in_new_tab'));
+      Discourse.User.current().set('enable_quoting', user.get('enable_quoting'));
+      Discourse.User.current().set('external_links_in_new_tab', user.get('external_links_in_new_tab'));
     });
   },
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application_route.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application_route.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 6ca976d481d..00000000000
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/application_route.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-/**
-  The base Application route
-
-  @class ApplicationRoute
-  @extends Discourse.Route
-  @namespace Discourse
-  @module Discourse
-**/
-Discourse.ApplicationRoute = Discourse.Route.extend({
-  setupController: function(controller) {
-    Discourse.set('currentUser', Discourse.User.current());
-  }
-});
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars
index 551803f96f5..102ff4b3195 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/composer.js.handlebars
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
           <div class='preview-wrapper'>
             <div id='wmd-preview' {{bindAttr class="hidePreview:hidden"}}></div>
           </div>
-          {{#if Discourse.currentUser}}
+          {{#if currentUser}}
             <a href="#" {{action togglePreview}} class='toggle-preview'>{{{content.toggleText}}}</a>
             <div id='draft-status'></div>
             {{#if view.loadingImage}}
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
           {{/if}}
         </div>
 
-        {{#if Discourse.currentUser}}
+        {{#if currentUser}}
           <div class='submit-panel'>
             <button {{action save}} tabindex="4" {{bindAttr class=":btn :btn-primary :create content.cantSubmitPost:disabled"}}>{{view.content.saveText}}</button>
             <a href='#' {{action cancel}} class='cancel' tabindex="4">{{i18n cancel}}</a>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
index 5294b0503ab..cfea2889e1f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
     <div class='panel clearfix'>
       {{#unless showExtraInfo}}
         <div class='current-username'>
-          {{#if view.currentUser}}
-          <span class='username'><a {{bindAttr href="view.currentUser.path"}}>{{view.currentUser.name}}</a></span>
+          {{#if currentUser}}
+          <span class='username'><a {{bindAttr href="currentUser.path"}}>{{currentUser.name}}</a></span>
           {{else}}
             <button {{action showLogin}} class='btn btn-primary btn-small'>{{i18n log_in}}</button>
           {{/if}}
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@
       {{/unless}}
       <ul class='icons clearfix'>
         <li class='notifications'>
-          {{#if view.currentUser}}
+          {{#if currentUser}}
             <a class='icon' href="#" {{action showNotifications target="view"}} data-notifications="notifications-dropdown" id='user-notifications' title='{{i18n notifications.title}}'><i class='icon-comment'></i></a>
-            {{#if view.currentUser.unread_notifications}}
-              <a href='#' class='badge-notification unread-notifications'>{{view.currentUser.unread_notifications}}</a>
+            {{#if currentUser.unread_notifications}}
+              <a href='#' class='badge-notification unread-notifications'>{{currentUser.unread_notifications}}</a>
             {{/if}}
-            {{#if view.currentUser.unread_private_messages}}
-              <a href='#' class='badge-notification unread-private-messages'>{{view.currentUser.unread_private_messages}}</a>
+            {{#if currentUser.unread_private_messages}}
+              <a href='#' class='badge-notification unread-private-messages'>{{currentUser.unread_private_messages}}</a>
             {{/if}}
           {{else}}
             <a class='icon' href="#" {{action showLogin}} title='{{i18n notifications.title}}'><i class='icon-comment'></i></a>
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@
         </li>
         <li class='categories dropdown'>
           <a class='icon' data-dropdown="site-map-dropdown" href="#" title='{{i18n site_map}}'><i class='icon-reorder'></i></a>
-          {{#if view.currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}
-            <a href='/admin/flags/active' title='{{i18n notifications.total_flagged}}' class='badge-notification flagged-posts'>{{view.currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}</a>
+          {{#if currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}
+            <a href='/admin/flags/active' title='{{i18n notifications.total_flagged}}' class='badge-notification flagged-posts'>{{currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}</a>
           {{/if}}
         </li>
         <li class='current-user'>
-          {{#if view.currentUser}}
-            {{#titledLinkTo user.activity view.currentUser titleKey="current_user" class="icon"}}{{avatar Discourse.currentUser imageSize="medium" }}{{/titledLinkTo}}
+          {{#if currentUser}}
+            {{#titledLinkTo user.activity currentUser titleKey="current_user" class="icon"}}{{avatar currentUser imageSize="medium" }}{{/titledLinkTo}}
           {{else}}
             <div class="icon not-logged-in-avatar" {{action showLogin}}><i class='icon-user'></i></div>
           {{/if}}
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
             <li class="{{unbound readClass}}">{{{unbound rendered}}}</li>
             {{/each}}
             <li class='read last'>
-              <a {{bindAttr href="view.currentUser.path"}}>{{i18n notifications.more}} &hellip;</a>
+              <a {{bindAttr href="currentUser.path"}}>{{i18n notifications.more}} &hellip;</a>
             </li>
           </ul>
         {{else}}
@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@
 
       <section class='d-dropdown' id='site-map-dropdown'>
       <ul>
-        {{#if Discourse.currentUser.staff}}
+        {{#if currentUser.staff}}
           <li><a href="/admin"><i class='icon icon-cog'></i>{{i18n admin_title}}</a></li>
           <li><a href="/admin/flags/active"><i class='icon icon-flag'></i>{{i18n flags_title}}</a>
-          {{#if view.currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}
-            <a href='/admin/flags/active' title='{{i18n notifications.total_flagged}}' class='badge-notification flagged-posts'>{{view.currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}</a>
+          {{#if currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}
+            <a href='/admin/flags/active' title='{{i18n notifications.total_flagged}}' class='badge-notification flagged-posts'>{{currentUser.site_flagged_posts_count}}</a>
           {{/if}}
           </li>
         {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars
index 3d13b6b56fe..70031f4afa2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topic_list_item.js.handlebars
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-
-  {{#if Discourse.currentUser.id}}
+  {{#if controller.currentUser.id}}
     <td class='star'>
       <a {{bindAttr class=":star :icon-star starred:starred"}} {{action toggleStar this}} href='#' {{bindAttr title="favoriteTooltip"}}></a>
     </td>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topics.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topics.js.handlebars
index d5296e2937a..825fe9edd86 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topics.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/list/topics.js.handlebars
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
       <table id='topic-list'>
         <thead>
         <tr>
-          {{#if Discourse.currentUser}}
+          {{#if currentUser}}
             <th>&nbsp;</th>
           {{/if}}
           <th>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/topic.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/topic.js.handlebars
index ed5b894e4d8..4cc2b432ec2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/topic.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/topic.js.handlebars
@@ -138,6 +138,6 @@
 {{render share}}
 {{render quoteButton}}
 
-{{#if Discourse.currentUser.staff}}
+{{#if currentUser.staff}}
   {{render topicAdminMenu content}}
 {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
index 60fa81ddd13..18704d1f01a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/user.js.handlebars
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
         {{#if viewingSelf}}
           <button {{action "logout" target="Discourse"}} class='btn'>{{i18n user.log_out}}</button>
         {{/if}}
-        {{#if Discourse.currentUser.staff}}
+        {{#if currentUser.staff}}
           <a href="{{unbound adminPath}}" class='btn'><i class="icon-wrench"></i>&nbsp;{{i18n admin.user.show_admin_profile}}</a>
         {{/if}}
         <ul class="nav nav-pills">
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js
index afde98e8643..cc56d44acbd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/header_view.js
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ Discourse.HeaderView = Discourse.View.extend({
   classNames: ['d-header', 'clearfix'],
   classNameBindings: ['editingTopic'],
   templateName: 'header',
-  currentUserBinding: 'Discourse.currentUser',
   topicBinding: 'Discourse.router.topicController.content',
 
   showDropdown: function($target) {
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ Discourse.HeaderView = Discourse.View.extend({
       }));
 
       // We've seen all the notifications now
-      headerView.set('currentUser.unread_notifications', 0);
+      Discourse.User.current.set('unread_notifications', 0);
       headerView.showDropdown($('#user-notifications'));
     });
     return false;
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_extra_info_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_extra_info_view.js
index 6bc32c3dab4..1b1c72ea436 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_extra_info_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_extra_info_view.js
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ Discourse.TopicExtraInfoView = Ember.ContainerView.extend({
     templateName: 'topic_extra_info',
     classNames: ['extra-info'],
     topicBinding: 'controller.topic',
-    showFavoriteButton: (function() {
-      return Discourse.currentUser && !this.get('topic.isPrivateMessage');
-    }).property('topic.isPrivateMessage')
+    showFavoriteButton: function() {
+      return Discourse.User.current() && !this.get('topic.isPrivateMessage');
+    }.property('topic.isPrivateMessage')
   })
 
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_view.js
index 8118ce56189..18dcf94fc8f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/topic_view.js
@@ -339,9 +339,9 @@ Discourse.TopicView = Discourse.View.extend(Discourse.Scrolling, {
     return false;
   },
 
-  showFavoriteButton: (function() {
-    return Discourse.currentUser && !this.get('topic.isPrivateMessage');
-  }).property('topic.isPrivateMessage'),
+  showFavoriteButton: function() {
+    return Discourse.User.current() && !this.get('topic.isPrivateMessage');
+  }.property('topic.isPrivateMessage'),
 
   resetExamineDockCache: function() {
     this.docAt = null;
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/user/user_activity_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/user/user_activity_view.js
index 38366d8ef84..bed6c6525d9 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/user/user_activity_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/views/user/user_activity_view.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 **/
 Discourse.UserActivityView = Discourse.View.extend({
   templateName: 'user/activity',
-  currentUserBinding: 'Discourse.currentUser',
   userBinding: 'controller.content',
 
   didInsertElement: function() {