diff --git a/pinax/apps/account/auth_backends.py b/pinax/apps/account/auth_backends.py
index 266d8eb5e..e8a9bb850 100644
--- a/pinax/apps/account/auth_backends.py
+++ b/pinax/apps/account/auth_backends.py
@@ -1,17 +1,24 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+
 from django.contrib.auth.backends import ModelBackend
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 
 
-
-class EmailModelBackend(ModelBackend):
-    """
-    A backend that provides authentication through e-mail instead of username.
-    """
+class AuthenticationBackend(ModelBackend):
     
-    def authenticate(self, email=None, password=None):
+    def authenticate(self, **credentials):
+        lookup_params = {}
+        if settings.ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
+            lookup_params["email"] = credentials["email"]
+        else:
+            lookup_params["username"] = credentials["username"]
         try:
-            user = User.objects.get(email=email)
-            if user.check_password(password):
-                return user
+            user = User.objects.get(**lookup_params)
         except User.DoesNotExist:
             return None
+        else:
+            if user.check_password(credentials["password"]):
+                return user
+
+
+EmailModelBackend = AuthenticationBackend
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pinax/projects/account_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/account_project/settings.py
index 411fdd6d9..937490a29 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/account_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/account_project/settings.py
@@ -168,14 +168,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"
diff --git a/pinax/projects/basic_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/basic_project/settings.py
index fd4b7d3d9..faf5bf916 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/basic_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/basic_project/settings.py
@@ -185,14 +185,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"
diff --git a/pinax/projects/cms_company_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/cms_company_project/settings.py
index c83887063..cfed10685 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/cms_company_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/cms_company_project/settings.py
@@ -198,14 +198,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_DAYS = 2
 EMAIL_DEBUG = DEBUG
diff --git a/pinax/projects/cms_holidayhouse_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/cms_holidayhouse_project/settings.py
index ce65a7f23..17daca8c8 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/cms_holidayhouse_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/cms_holidayhouse_project/settings.py
@@ -198,14 +198,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_DAYS = 2
 EMAIL_DEBUG = DEBUG
diff --git a/pinax/projects/code_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/code_project/settings.py
index c8d29d176..8272ed3b2 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/code_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/code_project/settings.py
@@ -214,14 +214,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"
diff --git a/pinax/projects/intranet_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/intranet_project/settings.py
index 761d3a004..66317f751 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/intranet_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/intranet_project/settings.py
@@ -209,14 +209,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "home"
diff --git a/pinax/projects/private_beta_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/private_beta_project/settings.py
index 4dc81e5a3..04ec05c51 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/private_beta_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/private_beta_project/settings.py
@@ -170,14 +170,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/"
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"
diff --git a/pinax/projects/sample_group_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/sample_group_project/settings.py
index 910d5b3a1..d7ae8db11 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/sample_group_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/sample_group_project/settings.py
@@ -216,14 +216,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"
diff --git a/pinax/projects/social_project/settings.py b/pinax/projects/social_project/settings.py
index 752364f07..3c36ca721 100644
--- a/pinax/projects/social_project/settings.py
+++ b/pinax/projects/social_project/settings.py
@@ -230,14 +230,9 @@
 ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 ACCOUNT_UNIQUE_EMAIL = EMAIL_CONFIRMATION_UNIQUE_EMAIL = False
 
-if ACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.EmailModelBackend",
-    ]
-else:
-    AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
-        "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",
-    ]
+AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = [
+    "pinax.apps.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",
+]
 
 LOGIN_URL = "/account/login/" # @@@ any way this can be a url name?
 LOGIN_REDIRECT_URLNAME = "what_next"