diff --git a/src/NuGetGallery/Controllers/AuthenticationController.cs b/src/NuGetGallery/Controllers/AuthenticationController.cs
index 2ca9d00256..c60d330c4d 100644
--- a/src/NuGetGallery/Controllers/AuthenticationController.cs
+++ b/src/NuGetGallery/Controllers/AuthenticationController.cs
@@ -93,9 +93,6 @@ public virtual ActionResult Register(RegisterRequest request, string returnUrl)
                 return View();
             }
 
-            // TODO: consider client-side validation for unique username
-            // TODO: add email validation
-
             User user;
             try
             {
diff --git a/src/NuGetGallery/Helpers/HttpContextBaseExtensions.cs b/src/NuGetGallery/Helpers/HttpContextBaseExtensions.cs
index 17a17b8925..463e63122d 100644
--- a/src/NuGetGallery/Helpers/HttpContextBaseExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/NuGetGallery/Helpers/HttpContextBaseExtensions.cs
@@ -21,7 +21,12 @@ public static void SetConfirmationContext(this HttpContextBase httpContext, stri
 
         public static string GetConfirmationReturnUrl(this HttpContextBase httpContext)
         {
-            var cookie = httpContext.Request.Cookies.Get("ConfirmationContext");
+            HttpCookie cookie = null;
+            if (httpContext.Request.Cookies != null)
+            {
+                cookie = httpContext.Request.Cookies.Get("ConfirmationContext");
+            }
+
             if (cookie == null)
             {
                 return null;
diff --git a/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/AuthenticationControllerFacts.cs b/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/AuthenticationControllerFacts.cs
index f930718192..49b93fbcb4 100644
--- a/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/AuthenticationControllerFacts.cs
+++ b/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/AuthenticationControllerFacts.cs
@@ -210,13 +210,13 @@ public void WillInvalidateModelStateAndShowTheViewWhenAnEntityExceptionIsThrow()
                     .Setup(x => x.Create(It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<string>()))
                     .Throws(new EntityException("aMessage"));
 
-                var result = controller.Register(
-                    new RegisterRequest
-                    {
-                        Username = "theUsername",
-                        Password = "thePassword",
-                        EmailAddress = "theEmailAddress",
-                    }, null);
+                var request = new RegisterRequest
+                {
+                    Username = "theUsername",
+                    Password = "thePassword",
+                    EmailAddress = "theEmailAddress",
+                };
+                var result = controller.Register(request, null);
 
                 ResultAssert.IsView(result);
                 Assert.False(controller.ModelState.IsValid);
diff --git a/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/UsersControllerFacts.cs b/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/UsersControllerFacts.cs
index 69e38463da..f977322d5b 100644
--- a/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/UsersControllerFacts.cs
+++ b/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/Controllers/UsersControllerFacts.cs
@@ -118,18 +118,20 @@ public void Returns404WhenTokenIsEmpty()
             public void ReturnsConfirmedWhenTokenMatchesUser()
             {
                 var user = new User
-                    {
-                        UnconfirmedEmailAddress = "email@example.com",
-                        EmailConfirmationToken = "the-token"
-                    };
+                {
+                    Username = "username",
+                    UnconfirmedEmailAddress = "email@example.com",
+                    EmailConfirmationToken = "the-token"
+                };
                 var controller = GetController<UsersController>();
+                controller.SetUser(user);
+
                 GetMock<IUserService>()
                     .Setup(u => u.FindByUsername("username"))
                     .Returns(user);
                 GetMock<IUserService>()
                     .Setup(u => u.ConfirmEmailAddress(user, "the-token"))
                     .Returns(true);
-                controller.SetUser(user);
 
                 var model = (controller.Confirm("username", "the-token") as ViewResult).Model as ConfirmationViewModel;
 
@@ -140,20 +142,22 @@ public void ReturnsConfirmedWhenTokenMatchesUser()
             public void SendsAccountChangedNoticeWhenConfirmingChangedEmail()
             {
                 var user = new User
-                    {
-                        EmailAddress = "old@example.com",
-                        UnconfirmedEmailAddress = "new@example.com",
-                        EmailConfirmationToken = "the-token"
-                    };
+                {
+                    Username = "username",
+                    EmailAddress = "old@example.com",
+                    UnconfirmedEmailAddress = "new@example.com",
+                    EmailConfirmationToken = "the-token"
+                };
                 var controller = GetController<UsersController>();
+                controller.SetUser(user);
+
                 GetMock<IUserService>()
                           .Setup(u => u.FindByUsername("username"))
                           .Returns(user);
                 GetMock<IUserService>()
                           .Setup(u => u.ConfirmEmailAddress(user, "the-token"))
                           .Returns(true);
-                controller.SetUser(user);
-
+                    
                 var model = (controller.Confirm("username", "the-token") as ViewResult).Model as ConfirmationViewModel;
 
                 Assert.True(model.SuccessfulConfirmation);
@@ -167,6 +171,7 @@ public void DoesntSendAccountChangedEmailsWhenNoOldConfirmedAddress()
             {
                 var user = new User
                 {
+                    Username = "username",
                     EmailAddress = null,
                     UnconfirmedEmailAddress = "new@example.com",
                     EmailConfirmationToken = "the-token"
diff --git a/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/TestUtils/ResultAssert.cs b/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/TestUtils/ResultAssert.cs
index a5c1ec59b9..6e41442288 100644
--- a/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/TestUtils/ResultAssert.cs
+++ b/tests/NuGetGallery.Facts/TestUtils/ResultAssert.cs
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@ public static ViewResult IsView(ActionResult result, string viewName = "", strin
             {
                 DictionariesMatch(new RouteValueDictionary(viewData), view.ViewData);
             }
-            else
-            {
-                Assert.Equal(0, view.ViewData.Count);
-            }
             return view;
         }
 
@@ -67,6 +63,12 @@ public static void IsStatusCode(ActionResult result, HttpStatusCode code)
 
         public static void IsStatusCode(ActionResult result, int code)
         {
+            if (result is EmptyResult)
+            {
+                Assert.Equal(code, 200);
+                return;
+            }
+
             var statusCodeResult = Assert.IsAssignableFrom<HttpStatusCodeResult>(result);
             Assert.Equal(code, statusCodeResult.StatusCode);
         }