diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/net/AuthRequest.java b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/net/AuthRequest.java
index 032a1e6ad..e28799089 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/presents/net/AuthRequest.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/presents/net/AuthRequest.java
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@
 
 package com.threerings.presents.net;
 
+import java.io.EOFException;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.TimeZone;
 
+import com.threerings.io.ObjectInputStream;
+
 /**
  * Used to authenticate with the server.
  */
@@ -88,6 +92,21 @@ public class AuthRequest extends UpstreamMessage
             ", version=" + _version + "]";
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reads our custom streamable fields.
+     */
+    public void readObject (ObjectInputStream in)
+        throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException
+    {
+        try {
+            in.defaultReadObject();
+        } catch (EOFException eofe) {
+            // if we fail here because the client is old, leave ourselves with a partially
+            // initialized set of credentials, which the server will generally cope with by telling
+            // the client it is out of date
+        }
+    }
+
     /** The credentials associated with this auth request. */
     protected Credentials _creds;