diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/app/servlet/AuthenticationHelper.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/app/servlet/AuthenticationHelper.java
index 63abdbf6f4..54e91dc8a7 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/app/servlet/AuthenticationHelper.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/app/servlet/AuthenticationHelper.java
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
-/*
- * #%L
- * Alfresco Repository WAR Community
- * %%
- * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2016 Alfresco Software Limited
- * %%
- * This file is part of the Alfresco software. 
- * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of 
- * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is 
- * provided under the following open source license terms:
- * 
- * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
- * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
- * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
- * (at your option) any later version.
- * 
- * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
- * 
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
- * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- * #L%
- */
+/*
+ * #%L
+ * Alfresco Repository WAR Community
+ * %%
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 - 2016 Alfresco Software Limited
+ * %%
+ * This file is part of the Alfresco software. 
+ * If the software was purchased under a paid Alfresco license, the terms of 
+ * the paid license agreement will prevail.  Otherwise, the software is 
+ * provided under the following open source license terms:
+ * 
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ * 
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ * 
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ * #L%
+ */
 package org.alfresco.web.app.servlet;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -433,10 +433,14 @@ public final class AuthenticationHelper
       if (logger.isDebugEnabled())
           logger.debug("Creating an object for " + currentUsername + " with ticket: " + ticket);
       final ServiceRegistry services = (ServiceRegistry) wc.getBean(ServiceRegistry.SERVICE_REGISTRY);
+
+      // If the repository is read only, we have to settle for a read only transaction. Auto user creation
+      // will not be possible.
+      boolean readOnly = services.getTransactionService().isReadOnly();
+
       return services.getTransactionService().getRetryingTransactionHelper().doInTransaction(
             new RetryingTransactionHelper.RetryingTransactionCallback<User>()
             {
-
                public User execute() throws Throwable
                {
                   NodeService nodeService = services.getNodeService();
@@ -453,7 +457,7 @@ public final class AuthenticationHelper
                   user.setHomeSpaceId(homeRef.getId());
                   return user;
                }
-            });
+            }, readOnly, false);
    }
     
    /**