diff --git a/apps/amo/authentication.py b/apps/amo/authentication.py
index f3539277..8e741d7e 100644
--- a/apps/amo/authentication.py
+++ b/apps/amo/authentication.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from django.conf import settings
 
 from amo.helpers import get_amo_cursor
 from person.models import Profile
+from utils.amo import AMOOAuth
 
 DEFAULT_AMO_PASSWORD = 'saved in AMO'
 
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ class AMOAuthentication:
         username = user_data['id']
         self.user_data = user_data
         return username
-    
+
     @staticmethod
     def auth_browserid_authenticate(email):
         """
@@ -112,25 +113,11 @@ class AMOAuthentication:
             browserid
         """
         return AMOAuthentication.fetch_amo_user(email)
-        
+
     @staticmethod
     def fetch_amo_user(email):
-        columns = ('id', 'email', 'username', 'password',
-                   'display_name', 'homepage')
-        auth_cursor = get_amo_cursor()
-
-        SQL = ('SELECT %s FROM %s WHERE email=%%s') % (
-                ','.join(columns), settings.AUTH_DATABASE['TABLE'])
-        auth_cursor.execute(SQL, email)
-        data = auth_cursor.fetchone()
-        if data == None:
-            return None
-        
-        user_data = {}
-        for i in range(len(data)):
-            user_data[columns[i]] = data[i]        
-        
-        return user_data
+        amo = AMOOAuth()
+        return amo.get_user_by_email(email) or None
 
 
 def get_hexdigest(algorithm, salt, raw_password):
diff --git a/apps/amo/tests/auth_tests.py b/apps/amo/tests/auth_tests.py
index 24ab97cf..5bbfcf11 100644
--- a/apps/amo/tests/auth_tests.py
+++ b/apps/amo/tests/auth_tests.py
@@ -2,10 +2,21 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.contrib.auth import authenticate
 
+from mock import Mock
 from nose import SkipTest
+from nose.tools import eq_
+
+from amo.authentication import AMOAuthentication
+from utils.amo import AMOOAuth
+
+
+OLD_AMOOAUTH_SEND = AMOOAuth._send
 
 class AuthTest(TestCase):
 
+    def tearDown(self):
+        AMOOAuth._send = OLD_AMOOAUTH_SEND
+
     def test_failing_login(self):
         # testing failed authentication on AMO
         # this test assumes FlightDeck has access to AMO database
@@ -16,7 +27,8 @@ class AuthTest(TestCase):
                 password='user')
             )
 
-    def test_successful_login(self):
+    @staticmethod
+    def test_successful_login():
         # if settings_local contains AMO user data  check if login is
         # successful
         # assumes that FlightDeck has access to AMO database
@@ -25,3 +37,20 @@ class AuthTest(TestCase):
         assert authenticate(
                 username=settings.TEST_AMO_USERNAME,
                 password=settings.TEST_AMO_PASSWORD)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def test_get_user():
+
+        AMOOAuth._send = Mock(return_value={
+                "username": "some",
+                "display_name": "Some User",
+                "created": "2007-03-05 13:09:38",
+                "modified": "2012-01-31 12:38:50",
+                "id": 12345,
+                "location": "Portland, OR",
+                "homepage": "http://example.com",
+                "email": "some@example.com",
+                "occupation": "addon developer"
+            })
+        eq_(AMOAuthentication.fetch_amo_user('some@example.com')['username'],
+                'some')
diff --git a/apps/amo/tests/upload_to_amo_tests.py b/apps/amo/tests/upload_to_amo_tests.py
index 6e09a70a..f3a2c536 100644
--- a/apps/amo/tests/upload_to_amo_tests.py
+++ b/apps/amo/tests/upload_to_amo_tests.py
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ from utils.amo import AMOOAuth
 log = commonware.log.getLogger('f.test')
 
 
+OLD_AMOOAUTH_SEND = AMOOAuth._send
+
 class UploadTest(TestCase):
     fixtures = ['mozilla_user', 'users', 'core_sdk', 'packages']
     ADDON_AMO_ID = 1
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ class UploadTest(TestCase):
                            protocol=settings.AMOOAUTH_PROTOCOL,
                            prefix=settings.AMOOAUTH_PREFIX)
 
+    def tearDown(self):
+        AMOOAuth._send = OLD_AMOOAUTH_SEND
 
     def test_create_new_amo_addon(self):
         AMOOAuth._send = Mock(return_value={
diff --git a/utils/amo.py b/utils/amo.py
index dc2d64ed..d44de755 100644
--- a/utils/amo.py
+++ b/utils/amo.py
@@ -214,6 +214,9 @@ class AMOOAuth:
     def get_user(self):
         return self._send(self.url('user'), 'GET', {})
 
+    def get_user_by_email(self, email):
+        return self._send(self.url('user'), 'GET', {'email': email})
+
     def create_addon(self, data):
         return self._send(self.url('addon'), 'POST', data)