diff --git a/js/gdm/authPrompt.js b/js/gdm/authPrompt.js
index a0420a609..fb8500421 100644
--- a/js/gdm/authPrompt.js
+++ b/js/gdm/authPrompt.js
@@ -24,11 +24,6 @@ const AuthPromptMode = {
     UNLOCK_OR_LOG_IN: 1
 };
 
-const BeginRequestType = {
-    PROVIDE_USERNAME: 0,
-    DONT_PROVIDE_USERNAME: 1
-};
-
 const AuthPrompt = new Lang.Class({
     Name: 'AuthPrompt',
 
@@ -44,6 +39,7 @@ const AuthPrompt = new Lang.Class({
 
         this._userVerifier = new GdmUtil.ShellUserVerifier(this._gdmClient, { reauthenticationOnly: reauthenticationOnly });
 
+        this._userVerifier.connect('needs-username', Lang.bind(this, this._onNeedsUserName));
         this._userVerifier.connect('ask-question', Lang.bind(this, this._onAskQuestion));
         this._userVerifier.connect('show-message', Lang.bind(this, this._onShowMessage));
         this._userVerifier.connect('verification-failed', Lang.bind(this, this._onVerificationFailed));
@@ -186,6 +182,14 @@ const AuthPrompt = new Lang.Class({
         }));
     },
 
+    _onNeedsUserName: function() {
+        this.emit('needs-username');
+    },
+
+    gotUserName: function(userName) {
+        this._userVerifier.gotUserName(userName);
+    },
+
     _onAskQuestion: function(verifier, serviceName, question, passwordChar) {
         if (this._preemptiveAnswer) {
             if (this._queryingService)
@@ -403,24 +407,7 @@ const AuthPrompt = new Lang.Class({
         this.setUser(null);
         this.stopSpinning();
 
-        let beginRequestType;
-
-        if (this._mode == AuthPromptMode.UNLOCK_ONLY) {
-            // The user is constant at the unlock screen, so it will immediately
-            // respond to the request with the username
-            beginRequestType = BeginRequestType.PROVIDE_USERNAME;
-        } else if (this._userVerifier.serviceIsForeground(GdmUtil.OVIRT_SERVICE_NAME) ||
-                   (this.smartcardDetected &&
-                    this._userVerifier.serviceIsForeground(GdmUtil.SMARTCARD_SERVICE_NAME))) {
-            // We don't need to know the username if the user preempted the login screen
-            // with a smartcard or with preauthenticated oVirt credentials
-            beginRequestType = BeginRequestType.DONT_PROVIDE_USERNAME;
-        } else {
-            // In all other cases, we should get the username up front.
-            beginRequestType = BeginRequestType.PROVIDE_USERNAME;
-        }
-
-        this.emit('reset', beginRequestType);
+        this.emit('reset');
     },
 
     addCharacter: function(unichar) {
@@ -431,9 +418,12 @@ const AuthPrompt = new Lang.Class({
         this._entry.clutter_text.insert_unichar(unichar);
     },
 
-    begin: function(userName) {
+    begin: function() {
         this.updateSensitivity(false);
+        this._userVerifier.begin();
+    },
 
+    needsUsername: function() {
         this._userVerifier.begin(userName);
     },
 
diff --git a/js/gdm/loginDialog.js b/js/gdm/loginDialog.js
index 84a38a6b1..b4953b950 100644
--- a/js/gdm/loginDialog.js
+++ b/js/gdm/loginDialog.js
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._authPrompt = new AuthPrompt.AuthPrompt(gdmClient, AuthPrompt.AuthPromptMode.UNLOCK_OR_LOG_IN);
         this._authPrompt.connect('prompted', Lang.bind(this, this._onPrompted));
         this._authPrompt.connect('reset', Lang.bind(this, this._onReset));
+        this._authPrompt.connect('needs-username', Lang.bind(this, this._onNeedsUserName));
         this._authPrompt.hide();
         this.actor.add_child(this._authPrompt.actor);
 
@@ -469,14 +470,13 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._sessionMenuButton.actor.show();
         this._authPrompt.addActorToDefaultButtonWell(this._sessionMenuButton.actor);
 
-        this._disableUserList = undefined;
+        this._updateDisableUserList();
         this._userListLoaded = false;
 
         // If the user list is enabled, it should take key focus; make sure the
         // screen shield is initialized first to prevent it from stealing the
         // focus later
-        Main.layoutManager.connect('startup-complete',
-                                   Lang.bind(this, this._updateDisableUserList));
+        Main.layoutManager.connect('startup-complete', Lang.bind(this, this._reset));
     },
 
     _ensureUserListLoaded: function() {
@@ -493,15 +493,20 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
             GLib.idle_add(GLib.PRIORITY_DEFAULT, Lang.bind(this, this._loadUserList));
     },
 
+    _reset: function() {
+        this._authPrompt.reset();
+        this._authPrompt.begin();
+    },
+
     _updateDisableUserList: function() {
         let disableUserList = this._settings.get_boolean(GdmUtil.DISABLE_USER_LIST_KEY);
+        if (disableUserList == this._disableUserList)
+            return;
 
-        if (disableUserList != this._disableUserList) {
-            this._disableUserList = disableUserList;
+        this._disableUserList = disableUserList;
 
-            if (this._authPrompt.verificationStatus == GdmUtil.VerificationStatus.NOT_VERIFYING)
-                this._authPrompt.reset();
-        }
+        if (this._authPrompt.verificationStatus == GdmUtil.VerificationStatus.ASKING_FOR_USERNAME)
+            this._reset();
     },
 
     _updateCancelButton: function() {
@@ -509,7 +514,7 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
 
         // Hide the cancel button if the user list is disabled and we're asking for
         // a username
-        if (this._authPrompt.verificationStatus == GdmUtil.VerificationStatus.NOT_VERIFYING && this._disableUserList)
+        if (this._authPrompt.verificationStatus == GdmUtil.VerificationStatus.ASKING_FOR_USERNAME && this._disableUserList)
             cancelVisible = false;
         else
             cancelVisible = true;
@@ -554,19 +559,18 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._showPrompt();
     },
 
-    _onReset: function(authPrompt, beginRequest) {
+    _onReset: function() {
         this._sessionMenuButton.updateSensitivity(true);
-
         this._user = null;
 
-        if (beginRequest == AuthPrompt.BeginRequestType.PROVIDE_USERNAME) {
-            if (!this._disableUserList)
-                this._showUserList();
-            else
-                this._hideUserListAskForUsernameAndBeginVerification();
-        } else {
-            this._hideUserListAndBeginVerification();
-        }
+        this._reset();
+    },
+
+    _onNeedsUserName: function() {
+        if (!this._disableUserList)
+            this._showUserList();
+        else
+            this._hideUserListAskForUsernameAndBeginVerification();
     },
 
     _onDefaultSessionChanged: function(client, sessionId) {
@@ -625,7 +629,7 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
                                                         this._user = this._userManager.get_user(answer);
                                                         this._authPrompt.clear();
                                                         this._authPrompt.startSpinning();
-                                                        this._authPrompt.begin(answer);
+                                                        this._authPrompt.gotUserName(answer);
                                                         this._updateCancelButton();
 
                                                         realmManager.disconnect(realmSignalId)
@@ -805,11 +809,6 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._askForUsernameAndBeginVerification();
     },
 
-    _hideUserListAndBeginVerification: function() {
-        this._hideUserList();
-        this._authPrompt.begin();
-    },
-
     _showUserList: function() {
         this._ensureUserListLoaded();
         this._authPrompt.hide();
@@ -823,7 +822,7 @@ const LoginDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._authPrompt.setUser(item.user);
 
         let userName = item.user.get_user_name();
-        this._authPrompt.begin(userName);
+        this._authPrompt.gotUserName(userName);
     },
 
     _onUserListActivated: function(activatedItem) {
diff --git a/js/gdm/util.js b/js/gdm/util.js
index 076007e30..24c70e2d2 100644
--- a/js/gdm/util.js
+++ b/js/gdm/util.js
@@ -121,9 +121,10 @@ function cloneAndFadeOutActor(actor) {
 
 const VerificationStatus = {
     NOT_VERIFYING: 0,
-    VERIFYING: 1,
-    VERIFICATION_FAILED: 2,
-    VERIFICATION_SUCCEEDED: 3
+    ASKING_FOR_USERNAME: 1,
+    VERIFYING: 2,
+    VERIFICATION_FAILED: 3,
+    VERIFICATION_SUCCEEDED: 4,
 };
 
 const ShellUserVerifier = new Lang.Class({
@@ -169,24 +170,52 @@ const ShellUserVerifier = new Lang.Class({
     _reset: function() {
         // Clear previous attempts to authenticate
         this.verificationStatus = VerificationStatus.NOT_VERIFYING;
+        this._userName = null;
         this._failCounter = 0;
         this._updateDefaultService();
         this.emit('reset');
     },
 
-    begin: function(userName) {
-        this.verificationStatus = VerificationStatus.VERIFYING;
+    begin: function() {
+        if (this._mode == AuthPromptMode.UNLOCK_ONLY) {
+            // The user is constant at the unlock screen, so it will immediately
+            // respond to the request with the username
+            needsUsername = true;
+        } else if (this.serviceIsForeground(GdmUtil.OVIRT_SERVICE_NAME) ||
+                   (this.smartcardDetected &&
+                    this.serviceIsForeground(GdmUtil.SMARTCARD_SERVICE_NAME))) {
+            // We don't need to know the username if the user preempted the login screen
+            // with a smartcard or with preauthenticated oVirt credentials
+            needsUsername = false;
+        } else {
+            // In all other cases, we should get the username up front.
+            needsUsername = true;
+        }
 
-        this._cancellable = new Gio.Cancellable();
+        if (needsUsername) {
+            this.verificationStatus = VerificationStatus.ASKING_FOR_USERNAME;
+            this.emit('needs-username');
+        } else {
+            this._beginAuthentication();
+        }
+    },
+
+    gotUserName: function(userName) {
         this._userName = userName;
+        this._beginAuthentication();
+    },
+
+    _beginAuthentication: function() {
+        this.verificationStatus = VerificationStatus.VERIFYING;
+        this._cancellable = new Gio.Cancellable();
         this.reauthenticating = false;
 
         this._checkForFingerprintReader();
 
-        if (userName) {
+        if (this._userName) {
             // If possible, reauthenticate an already running session,
             // so any session specific credentials get updated appropriately
-            this._client.open_reauthentication_channel(userName, this._cancellable,
+            this._client.open_reauthentication_channel(this._userName, this._cancellable,
                                                        Lang.bind(this, this._reauthenticationChannelOpened));
         } else {
             this._client.get_user_verifier(this._cancellable, Lang.bind(this, this._userVerifierGot));
@@ -501,10 +530,6 @@ const ShellUserVerifier = new Lang.Class({
         this.verificationStatus = VerificationStatus.VERIFICATION_SUCCEEDED;
     },
 
-    _retry: function() {
-        this.begin(this._userName);
-    },
-
     _verificationFailed: function(retry) {
         // For Not Listed / enterprise logins, immediately reset
         // the dialog
@@ -520,7 +545,7 @@ const ShellUserVerifier = new Lang.Class({
 
         this._doAfterPendingMessages(Lang.bind(this, function() {
             if (canRetry)
-                this._retry();
+                this._beginAuthentication();
             else
                 this.clear();
         }));
diff --git a/js/ui/unlockDialog.js b/js/ui/unlockDialog.js
index 001aabc8d..84d72502a 100644
--- a/js/ui/unlockDialog.js
+++ b/js/ui/unlockDialog.js
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ const UnlockDialog = new Lang.Class({
         this._authPrompt = new AuthPrompt.AuthPrompt(new Gdm.Client(), AuthPrompt.AuthPromptMode.UNLOCK_ONLY);
         this._authPrompt.connect('failed', Lang.bind(this, this._fail));
         this._authPrompt.connect('reset', Lang.bind(this, this._onReset));
+        this._authPrompt.connect('needs-username', Lang.bind(this, this._onNeedsUserName));
         this._authPrompt.setPasswordChar('\u25cf');
         this._authPrompt.nextButton.label = _("Unlock");
 
@@ -100,6 +101,10 @@ const UnlockDialog = new Lang.Class({
     },
 
     _onReset: function(authPrompt, beginRequest) {
+        this._authPrompt.begin();
+    },
+
+    _onNeedsUserName: function() {
         let userName;
         if (beginRequest == AuthPrompt.BeginRequestType.PROVIDE_USERNAME) {
             this._authPrompt.setUser(this._user);
@@ -108,7 +113,7 @@ const UnlockDialog = new Lang.Class({
             userName = null;
         }
 
-        this._authPrompt.begin(userName);
+        this._authPrompt.gotUserName(userName);
     },
 
     _escape: function() {