diff --git a/IPython/html/auth/login.py b/IPython/html/auth/login.py
index 81fff81..2fd94ad 100644
--- a/IPython/html/auth/login.py
+++ b/IPython/html/auth/login.py
@@ -1,40 +1,21 @@
-"""Tornado handlers logging into the notebook.
+"""Tornado handlers for logging into the notebook."""
 
-Authors:
-
-* Brian Granger
-* Phil Elson
-"""
-
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#  Copyright (C) 2014  The IPython Development Team
-#
-#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
-#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Imports
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
+# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
 import uuid
 
 from tornado.escape import url_escape
-from tornado import web
 
-from IPython.config.configurable import Configurable
 from IPython.lib.security import passwd_check
 
 from ..base.handlers import IPythonHandler
 
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Handler
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 class LoginHandler(IPythonHandler):
-    """ The basic IPythonWebApplication login handler which authenticates with a
-    hashed password from the configuration.
+    """The basic tornado login handler
     
+    authenticates with a hashed password from the configuration.
     """
     def _render(self, message=None):
         self.write(self.render_template('login.html',
@@ -47,12 +28,15 @@ class LoginHandler(IPythonHandler):
             self.redirect(self.get_argument('next', default=self.base_url))
         else:
             self._render()
+    
+    @property
+    def hashed_password(self):
+        return self.password_from_settings(self.settings)
 
     def post(self):
-        hashed_password = self.password_from_configuration(self.application)
         typed_password = self.get_argument('password', default=u'')
-        if self.login_available(self.application):
-            if passwd_check(hashed_password, typed_password):
+        if self.login_available(self.settings):
+            if passwd_check(self.hashed_password, typed_password):
                 self.set_secure_cookie(self.cookie_name, str(uuid.uuid4()))
             else:
                 self._render(message={'error': 'Invalid password'})
@@ -67,20 +51,20 @@ class LoginHandler(IPythonHandler):
             if ssl_options is None:
                 notebook_app.log.critical(warning + " and not using encryption. This "
                     "is not recommended.")
-            if not self.password_from_configuration(notebook_app):
+            if not notebook_app.password:
                 notebook_app.log.critical(warning + " and not using authentication. "
                     "This is highly insecure and not recommended.")
 
     @staticmethod
-    def password_from_configuration(webapp):
-        """ Return the hashed password from the given NotebookWebApplication's configuration.
-        
-        If there is no configured password, None will be returned.
+    def password_from_settings(settings):
+        """Return the hashed password from the tornado settings.
         
+        If there is no configured password, an empty string will be returned.
         """
-        return webapp.settings['config']['NotebookApp'].get('password', None)
+        return settings.get('password', u'')
 
     @classmethod
-    def login_available(cls, webapp):
+    def login_available(cls, settings):
         """Whether this LoginHandler is needed - and therefore whether the login page should be displayed."""
-        return bool(cls.password_from_configuration(webapp))
+        return bool(cls.password_from_settings(settings))
+
diff --git a/IPython/html/base/handlers.py b/IPython/html/base/handlers.py
index 19e5398..cf98691 100644
--- a/IPython/html/base/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/base/handlers.py
@@ -88,14 +88,12 @@ class AuthenticatedHandler(web.RequestHandler):
     
     @property
     def logged_in(self):
-        """Is a user currently logged in?
-
-        """
+        """Is a user currently logged in?"""
         user = self.get_current_user()
         return (user and not user == 'anonymous')
 
     @property
-    def _login_handler(self):
+    def login_handler(self):
         """Return the login handler for this application."""
         return self.settings['login_handler_class']
 
@@ -107,7 +105,7 @@ class AuthenticatedHandler(web.RequestHandler):
         whether the user is already logged in or not.
 
         """
-        return bool(self._login_handler.login_available(self.application))
+        return bool(self.login_handler.login_available(self.settings))
 
 
 class IPythonHandler(AuthenticatedHandler):