diff --git a/cake/libs/controller/components/auth.php b/cake/libs/controller/components/auth.php
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/cake/libs/controller/components/auth.php
+++ b/cake/libs/controller/components/auth.php
@@ -922,10 +922,13 @@ class AuthComponent extends Object {
 			return $this->authenticate->hashPasswords($data);
 		}
 
-		$model =& $this->getModel();
-		if (is_array($data) && isset($data[$model->alias])) {
-			if (isset($data[$model->alias][$this->fields['username']]) && isset($data[$model->alias][$this->fields['password']])) {
-				$data[$model->alias][$this->fields['password']] = $this->password($data[$model->alias][$this->fields['password']]);
+		if (is_array($data)) {
+			$model =& $this->getModel();
+			
+			if(isset($data[$model->alias])) {
+				if (isset($data[$model->alias][$this->fields['username']]) && isset($data[$model->alias][$this->fields['password']])) {
+					$data[$model->alias][$this->fields['password']] = $this->password($data[$model->alias][$this->fields['password']]);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		return $data;
Don't get User model if not needed. Fixes #<I>