diff --git a/awx/main/access.py b/awx/main/access.py
index c7e0ad2a07..97d3131bb5 100644
--- a/awx/main/access.py
+++ b/awx/main/access.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from awx.main.task_engine import TaskEnhancer
 from awx.conf.license import LicenseForbids
 
 __all__ = ['get_user_queryset', 'check_user_access', 'check_user_access_with_errors',
-           'user_accessible_objects',
+           'user_accessible_objects', 'consumer_access',
            'user_admin_role', 'StateConflict',]
 
 PERMISSION_TYPES = [
@@ -164,6 +164,17 @@ def check_superuser(func):
     return wrapper
 
 
+def consumer_access(group_name):
+    '''
+    consumer_access returns the proper Access class based on group_name
+    for a channels consumer.
+    '''
+    class_map = {'job_events': JobAccess,
+                 'workflow_events': WorkflowJobAccess,
+                 'ad_hoc_command_events': AdHocCommandAccess}
+    return class_map.get(group_name)
+
+
 class BaseAccess(object):
     '''
     Base class for checking user access to a given model.  Subclasses should
diff --git a/awx/main/consumers.py b/awx/main/consumers.py
index 2cb1f450f2..6483efb8e9 100644
--- a/awx/main/consumers.py
+++ b/awx/main/consumers.py
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import json
-import urlparse
 import logging
+import urllib
 
 from channels import Group
-from channels.sessions import channel_session
+from channels.sessions import channel_session, http_session
+from channels.handler import AsgiRequest
+
+from django.core.serializers.json import DjangoJSONEncoder
 
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
-from django.core.serializers.json import DjangoJSONEncoder
 from awx.main.models.organization import AuthToken
 
 
@@ -19,31 +21,25 @@ def discard_groups(message):
             Group(group).discard(message.reply_channel)
 
 
-def validate_token(token):
-    try:
-        auth_token = AuthToken.objects.get(key=token)
-        if not auth_token.in_valid_tokens:
-            return None
-    except AuthToken.DoesNotExist:
-        return None
-    return auth_token
-
-
-def user_from_token(auth_token):
-    try:
-        return User.objects.get(pk=auth_token.user_id)
-    except User.DoesNotExist:
-        return None
-
-
+@http_session
 @channel_session
 def ws_connect(message):
-    token = None
-    qs = urlparse.parse_qs(message['query_string'])
-    if 'token' in qs:
-        if len(qs['token']) > 0:
-            token = qs['token'].pop()
-    message.channel_session['token'] = token
+    connect_text = {'accept':False, 'user':None}
+
+    if message.http_session:
+        request = AsgiRequest(message)
+        token = request.COOKIES.get('token', None)
+        if token is not None:
+            token = urllib.unquote(token).strip('"')
+            try:
+                auth_token = AuthToken.objects.get(key=token)
+                if auth_token.in_valid_tokens:
+                    message.channel_session['user_id'] = auth_token.user_id
+                    connect_text['accept'] = True
+                    connect_text['user'] = auth_token.user_id
+            except AuthToken.DoesNotExist:
+                logger.error("auth_token provided was invalid.")
+    message.reply_channel.send({"text": json.dumps(connect_text)})
 
 
 @channel_session
@@ -53,20 +49,15 @@ def ws_disconnect(message):
 
 @channel_session
 def ws_receive(message):
-    token = message.channel_session.get('token')
+    from awx.main.access import consumer_access
 
-    auth_token = validate_token(token)
-    if auth_token is None:
-        logger.error("Authentication Failure validating user")
-        message.reply_channel.send({"text": json.dumps({"error": "invalid auth token"})})
-        return None
-
-    user = user_from_token(auth_token)
-    if user is None:
-        logger.error("No valid user corresponding to submitted auth_token")
+    user_id = message.channel_session.get('user_id', None)
+    if user_id is None:
+        logger.error("No valid user found for websocket.")
         message.reply_channel.send({"text": json.dumps({"error": "no valid user"})})
         return None
 
+    user = User.objects.get(pk=user_id)
     raw_data = message.content['text']
     data = json.loads(raw_data)
 
@@ -78,6 +69,12 @@ def ws_receive(message):
             if type(v) is list:
                 for oid in v:
                     name = '{}-{}'.format(group_name, oid)
+                    access_cls = consumer_access(group_name)
+                    if access_cls is not None:
+                        user_access = access_cls(user)
+                        if not user_access.get_queryset().filter(pk=oid).exists():
+                            message.reply_channel.send({"text": json.dumps({"error": "access denied to channel {0} for resource id {1}".format(group_name, oid)})})
+                            continue
                     current_groups.append(name)
                     Group(name).add(message.reply_channel)
             else: