diff --git a/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/auth/AuthenticatedActivity.java b/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/auth/AuthenticatedActivity.java
index 0aed732ad..11218c97e 100644
--- a/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/auth/AuthenticatedActivity.java
+++ b/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/auth/AuthenticatedActivity.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ public class AuthenticatedActivity extends SherlockFragmentActivity {
     
     String accountType;
     CommonsApplication app;
+
+    private String authCookie;
     
     public AuthenticatedActivity(String accountType) {
        this.accountType = accountType;
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ public class AuthenticatedActivity extends SherlockFragmentActivity {
         protected void onPostExecute(String result) {
             super.onPostExecute(result);
             if(result != null) {
+                authCookie = result;
                 onAuthCookieAcquired(result);
             } else {
                 onAuthFailure();
@@ -104,6 +107,10 @@ public class AuthenticatedActivity extends SherlockFragmentActivity {
         }
     }
     protected void requestAuthToken() {
+        if(authCookie != null) {
+            onAuthCookieAcquired(authCookie);
+            return;
+        }
         AccountManager accountManager = AccountManager.get(this);
         Account curAccount = app.getCurrentAccount();
         if(curAccount == null) {
@@ -125,6 +132,15 @@ public class AuthenticatedActivity extends SherlockFragmentActivity {
     protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
         app = (CommonsApplication)this.getApplicationContext();
+        if(savedInstanceState != null) {
+            authCookie = savedInstanceState.getString("authCookie");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle outState) {
+        super.onSaveInstanceState(outState);
+        outState.putString("authCookie", authCookie);
     }
 
     protected void onAuthCookieAcquired(String authCookie) {
diff --git a/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/contributions/ContributionsActivity.java b/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/contributions/ContributionsActivity.java
index d2a342ad4..ae5ffa9ea 100644
--- a/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/contributions/ContributionsActivity.java
+++ b/commons/src/main/java/org/wikimedia/commons/contributions/ContributionsActivity.java
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 package org.wikimedia.commons.contributions;
 
-import android.*;
-import android.net.Uri;
-import android.os.Environment;
 import android.os.IBinder;
-import android.provider.MediaStore;
 import android.support.v4.app.FragmentManager;
 import android.support.v4.app.LoaderManager;
 import android.support.v4.content.CursorLoader;
@@ -23,10 +19,6 @@ import org.wikimedia.commons.auth.AuthenticatedActivity;
 import org.wikimedia.commons.auth.WikiAccountAuthenticator;
 import org.wikimedia.commons.media.MediaDetailPagerFragment;
 
-import java.io.File;
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.Date;
-
 public  class       ContributionsActivity
         extends     AuthenticatedActivity
         implements  LoaderManager.LoaderCallbacks<Cursor>,