diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Auth/GuardHelpers.php b/src/Illuminate/Auth/GuardHelpers.php
index 9a682c3dce1c..291c65d461af 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Auth/GuardHelpers.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Auth/GuardHelpers.php
@@ -40,6 +40,16 @@ public function authenticate()
         throw new AuthenticationException;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Determine if the guard has the current user without triggering side effects.
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function hasUser()
+    {
+        return ! is_null($this->user);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Determine if the current user is authenticated.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Auth/AuthGuardTest.php b/tests/Auth/AuthGuardTest.php
index 85bf17b30b36..f353da868dda 100755
--- a/tests/Auth/AuthGuardTest.php
+++ b/tests/Auth/AuthGuardTest.php
@@ -178,6 +178,22 @@ public function testAuthenticateThrowsWhenUserIsNull()
         $guard->authenticate();
     }
 
+    public function testHasUserReturnsFalseWhenUserIsNotNull()
+    {
+        $user = m::mock('Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\Authenticatable');
+        $guard = $this->getGuard()->setUser($user);
+
+        $this->assertTrue($guard->hasUser());
+    }
+
+    public function testHasUserReturnsFalseWhenUserIsNull()
+    {
+        $guard = $this->getGuard();
+        $guard->getSession()->shouldNotReceive('get');
+
+        $this->assertFalse($guard->hasUser());
+    }
+
     public function testIsAuthedReturnsTrueWhenUserIsNotNull()
     {
         $user = m::mock('Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\Authenticatable');