diff --git a/server/webapp/WEB-INF/rails.new/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/server/webapp/WEB-INF/rails.new/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/server/webapp/WEB-INF/rails.new/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/server/webapp/WEB-INF/rails.new/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -178,6 +178,11 @@ module ApplicationHelper
     system_environment.use_compressed_js()
   end
 
+  # TODO: #130 - ugly hack. need to figure out what we can do. move dependent methods to controller as helper methods?
+  def current_user
+    instance_variable_get(:@user)
+  end
+
   def can_view_admin_page?
     security_service.canViewAdminPage(current_user)
   end
#<I> - current_user method of application_controller is not accessible in application_helper