diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/JSR168PortletAuthenticator.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/JSR168PortletAuthenticator.java
index 50dba4f432..ecbcd6db34 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/JSR168PortletAuthenticator.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/JSR168PortletAuthenticator.java
@@ -63,7 +63,13 @@ public class JSR168PortletAuthenticator implements WebScriptPortletAuthenticator
      */
     public boolean authenticate(RequiredAuthentication required, boolean isGuest, RenderRequest req, RenderResponse res)
     {
-        String portalUser = req.getRemoteUser();
+        // first look for the username key in the session - we add this by hand for some portals
+        // when the WebScriptPortletRequest is created
+        String portalUser = (String)req.getPortletSession().getAttribute(WebScriptPortletRequest.ALFPORTLETUSERNAME);
+        if (portalUser == null)
+        {
+            portalUser = req.getRemoteUser();
+        }
         
         if (logger.isDebugEnabled())
         {
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebClientPortletAuthenticator.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebClientPortletAuthenticator.java
index 697fded6c7..8f1117384e 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebClientPortletAuthenticator.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebClientPortletAuthenticator.java
@@ -76,10 +76,17 @@ public class WebClientPortletAuthenticator implements WebScriptPortletAuthentica
     public boolean authenticate(RequiredAuthentication required, boolean isGuest, RenderRequest req, RenderResponse res)
     {
         PortletSession session = req.getPortletSession();
-        String portalUser = req.getRemoteUser();
+        
+        // first look for the username key in the session - we add this by hand for some portals
+        // when the WebScriptPortletRequest is created
+        String portalUser = (String)req.getPortletSession().getAttribute(WebScriptPortletRequest.ALFPORTLETUSERNAME);
+        if (portalUser == null)
+        {
+            portalUser = req.getRemoteUser();
+        }
         
         if (logger.isDebugEnabled())
-        {
+        {   
             logger.debug("JSR-168 Remote user: " + portalUser);
         }
 
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebScriptPortletRequest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebScriptPortletRequest.java
index b096f688fd..cf41d94fd5 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebScriptPortletRequest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/scripts/portlet/WebScriptPortletRequest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.web.scripts.portlet;
 
+import java.util.Map;
+
 import javax.portlet.PortletRequest;
 
 import org.alfresco.web.scripts.WebScriptMatch;
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ import org.alfresco.web.scripts.WebScriptURLRequest;
  */
 public class WebScriptPortletRequest extends WebScriptURLRequest
 {
+    public static final String ALFPORTLETUSERNAME = "alfportletusername";
+    
     /** Portlet Request */
     private PortletRequest req;
     
@@ -64,6 +68,23 @@ public class WebScriptPortletRequest extends WebScriptURLRequest
     {
         super(scriptUrlParts, serviceMatch);
         this.req = req;
+        // look for the user info map in the portlet request - populated by the portlet container
+        Map userInfo = (Map)req.getAttribute(PortletRequest.USER_INFO);
+        if (userInfo != null)
+        {
+            // look for the special Liferay email (username) key
+            String liferayUsername = (String)userInfo.get("user.home-info.online.email");
+            if (liferayUsername != null)
+            {
+                // strip suffix from email address - we only need username part
+                if (liferayUsername.indexOf('@') != -1)
+                {
+                    liferayUsername = liferayUsername.substring(0, liferayUsername.indexOf('@'));
+                }
+                // save in session for use by alfresco portlet authenticator
+                this.req.getPortletSession().setAttribute(ALFPORTLETUSERNAME, liferayUsername);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -92,5 +113,4 @@ public class WebScriptPortletRequest extends WebScriptURLRequest
         // NOTE: rely on default agent mappings
         return null;
     }
-    
 }