diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/auth.js b/app/soapbox/actions/auth.js
index 5d4d4529d..dbbf91407 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/auth.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/auth.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import api from '../api';
+import api, { baseClient } from '../api';
 import { importFetchedAccount } from './importer';
 import snackbar from 'soapbox/actions/snackbar';
 import { createAccount } from 'soapbox/actions/accounts';
@@ -138,15 +138,7 @@ export function verifyCredentials(token) {
   return (dispatch, getState) => {
     dispatch({ type: VERIFY_CREDENTIALS_REQUEST });
 
-    const request = {
-      method: 'get',
-      url: '/api/v1/accounts/verify_credentials',
-      headers: {
-        'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
-      },
-    };
-
-    return api(getState).request(request).then(({ data: account }) => {
+    return baseClient(token).get('/api/v1/accounts/verify_credentials').then(({ data: account }) => {
       dispatch(importFetchedAccount(account));
       dispatch({ type: VERIFY_CREDENTIALS_SUCCESS, token, account });
       if (account.id === getState().get('me')) dispatch(fetchMeSuccess(account));
diff --git a/app/soapbox/api.js b/app/soapbox/api.js
index dc9be3add..664a5a071 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/api.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/api.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import axios from 'axios';
 import LinkHeader from 'http-link-header';
+import { getAccessToken, getAppToken } from 'soapbox/utils/auth';
 
 export const getLinks = response => {
   const value = response.headers.link;
@@ -11,28 +12,28 @@ export const getLinks = response => {
 
 const getToken = (getState, authType) => {
   const state = getState();
-  if (authType === 'app') {
-    return state.getIn(['auth', 'app', 'access_token']);
-  } else {
-    const me = state.get('me');
-    return state.getIn(['auth', 'users', me, 'access_token']);
+  return authType === 'app' ? getAppToken(state) : getAccessToken(state);
+};
+
+const maybeParseJSON = data => {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(data);
+  } catch(Exception) {
+    return data;
   }
 };
 
-export default (getState, authType = 'user') => {
-  const accessToken = getToken(getState, authType);
-
+export const baseClient = accessToken => {
   return axios.create({
     headers: Object.assign(accessToken ? {
       'Authorization': `Bearer ${accessToken}`,
     } : {}),
 
-    transformResponse: [function(data) {
-      try {
-        return JSON.parse(data);
-      } catch(Exception) {
-        return data;
-      }
-    }],
+    transformResponse: [maybeParseJSON],
   });
 };
+
+export default (getState, authType = 'user') => {
+  const accessToken = getToken(getState, authType);
+  return baseClient(accessToken);
+};
diff --git a/app/soapbox/utils/auth.js b/app/soapbox/utils/auth.js
index 20ae3f842..28f232711 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/utils/auth.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/utils/auth.js
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@ export const isLoggedIn = getState => {
   return typeof getState().get('me') === 'string';
 };
 
+export const getAppToken = state => state.getIn(['auth', 'app', 'access_token']);
+
+export const getUserToken = (state, accountId) => {
+  return state.getIn(['auth', 'users', accountId, 'access_token']);
+};
+
 export const getAccessToken = state => {
   const me = state.get('me');
-  return state.getIn(['auth', 'users', me, 'access_token']);
+  return getUserToken(state, me);
 };