diff --git a/src/api/authenticate.ts b/src/api/authenticate.ts
index 16a7ee1b45..832517379f 100644
--- a/src/api/authenticate.ts
+++ b/src/api/authenticate.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as express from 'express';
 import App from './models/app';
 import User from './models/user';
 import Userkey from './models/userkey';
+import isNativeToken from './common/is-native-token';
 
 export interface IAuthContext {
 	/**
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ export default (req: express.Request) => new Promise<IAuthContext>(async (resolv
 		return resolve({ app: null, user: null, isSecure: false });
 	}
 
-	if (token[0] == '!') {
+	if (isNativeToken(token)) {
 		const user = await User
 			.findOne({ token: token });
 
diff --git a/src/api/common/is-native-token.ts b/src/api/common/is-native-token.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0769a4812e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/common/is-native-token.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export default (token: string) => token[0] == '!';
diff --git a/src/api/streaming.ts b/src/api/streaming.ts
index 93d5f217b9..84a0f9ddf4 100644
--- a/src/api/streaming.ts
+++ b/src/api/streaming.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import * as websocket from 'websocket';
 import * as redis from 'redis';
 import User from './models/user';
 import Userkey from './models/userkey';
+import isNativeToken from './common/is-native-token';
 
 import homeStream from './stream/home';
 import messagingStream from './stream/messaging';
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ module.exports = (server: http.Server) => {
 
 function authenticate(connection: websocket.connection, token: string): Promise<any> {
 	return new Promise(async (resolve, reject) => {
-		if (token[0] == '!') {
+		if (isNativeToken(token)) {
 			// Fetch user
 			// SELECT _id
 			const user = await User