diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java
index ed6f539b..56797b70 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: UserManager.java,v 1.17 2003/09/19 02:51:25 eric Exp $
+// $Id: UserManager.java,v 1.18 2003/10/06 22:50:28 ray Exp $
 //
 // samskivert library - useful routines for java programs
 // Copyright (C) 2001 Michael Bayne
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import com.samskivert.Log;
 import com.samskivert.io.PersistenceException;
 import com.samskivert.jdbc.ConnectionProvider;
 import com.samskivert.servlet.RedirectException;
+import com.samskivert.servlet.util.CookieUtil;
 import com.samskivert.servlet.util.RequestUtils;
 import com.samskivert.util.Interval;
 import com.samskivert.util.IntervalManager;
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ public class UserManager
     public User loadUser (HttpServletRequest req)
 	throws PersistenceException
     {
-	String authcode = getAuthCode(req);
+	String authcode = CookieUtil.getCookieValue(req, USERAUTH_COOKIE);
 	if (authcode != null) {
 	    return _repository.loadUserBySession(authcode);
 	} else {
@@ -253,7 +254,7 @@ public class UserManager
 
     public void logout (HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse rsp)
     {
-	String authcode = getAuthCode(req);
+	String authcode = CookieUtil.getCookieValue(req, USERAUTH_COOKIE);
 
 	// nothing to do if they don't already have an auth cookie
 	if (authcode == null) {
@@ -267,20 +268,6 @@ public class UserManager
 	rsp.addCookie(rmcookie);
     }
 
-    protected static String getAuthCode (HttpServletRequest req)
-    {
-	Cookie[] cookies = req.getCookies();
-	if (cookies == null) {
-	    return null;
-	}
-	for (int i = 0; i < cookies.length; i++) {
-	    if (cookies[i].getName().equals(USERAUTH_COOKIE)) {
-		return cookies[i].getValue();
-	    }
-	}
-	return null;
-    }
-
     /** The user repository. */
     protected UserRepository _repository;
 
diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/util/CookieUtil.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/util/CookieUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21c3c21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/util/CookieUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+//
+// $Id: CookieUtil.java,v 1.1 2003/10/06 22:50:28 ray Exp $
+
+package com.samskivert.servlet.util;
+
+import javax.servlet.http.Cookie;
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+
+/**
+ * Utility methods for dealing with cookies.
+ */
+public class CookieUtil
+{
+    /**
+     * Get the cookie of the specified name, or null if not found.
+     */
+    public static Cookie getCookie (HttpServletRequest req, String name)
+    {
+        Cookie[] cookies = req.getCookies();
+        if (cookies != null) {
+            for (int ii=0, nn=cookies.length; ii < nn; ii++) {
+                if (cookies[ii].getName().equals(name)) {
+                    return cookies[ii];
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return null; // not found
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the value of the cookie for the cookie of the specified name,
+     * or null if not found.
+     */
+    public static String getCookieValue (HttpServletRequest req, String name)
+    {
+        Cookie c = getCookie(req, name);
+        return (c == null) ? null : c.getValue();
+    }
+}