diff --git a/.mailmap b/.mailmap
index c12c593fb7..b33dec8f29 100644
--- a/.mailmap
+++ b/.mailmap
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 Aritz Brosa <aritz.brosa.iartza@cern.ch> zazola <aritz.brosa@gmail.com>
 Giuseppe Lo Presti <giuseppe.lopresti@cern.ch> Giuseppe <giuseppe.lopresti@cern.ch>
+Michael D'Silva <michael.dsilva@aarnet.edu.au>
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index 44e805a697..541b4dad4f 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 - Hugo Gonzalez Labrador <github@hugo.labkode.com>
 - Ilja Neumann <ineumann@owncloud.com>
 - Jörn Friedrich Dreyer <jfd@butonic.de>
+- Michael D'Silva <md@aarnet.edu.au>
 - Michael D'Silva <michael.dsilva@aarnet.edu.au>
 - Mohitty <mohitt@iitk.ac.in>
 - Thomas Boerger <thomas@webhippie.de>
diff --git a/internal/grpc/services/gateway/authprovider.go b/internal/grpc/services/gateway/authprovider.go
index e74a12711b..08b8e70b58 100644
--- a/internal/grpc/services/gateway/authprovider.go
+++ b/internal/grpc/services/gateway/authprovider.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	registry "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/auth/registry/v1beta1"
 	gateway "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/gateway/v1beta1"
 	rpc "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/rpc/v1beta1"
+	storageprovider "github.com/cs3org/go-cs3apis/cs3/storage/provider/v1beta1"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/appctx"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/errtypes"
 	"github.com/cs3org/reva/pkg/rgrpc/status"
@@ -82,39 +83,6 @@ func (s *svc) Authenticate(ctx context.Context, req *gateway.AuthenticateRequest
 		}, nil
 	}
 
-	// TODO(labkode): we don't ned to call the user manager in the auth phase
-	// as the auth must provide a valid user. The mapping between user credentials and
-	// unique claims is done at the Authenticate logic an not here.
-	/*
-		userClient, err := pool.GetUserProviderServiceClient(s.c.UserProviderEndpoint)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Err(err).Msg("error getting user provider client")
-			return &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
-				Status: status.NewInternal(ctx, err, "error getting user provider service client"),
-			}, nil
-		}
-
-		getUserReq := &user.GetUserRequest{
-			UserId: uid,
-		}
-
-		getUserRes, err := userClient.GetUser(ctx, getUserReq)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = errors.Wrap(err, "authsvc: error in GetUser")
-			res := &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
-				Status: status.NewUnauthenticated(ctx, err, "error getting user information"),
-			}
-			return res, nil
-		}
-
-		if getUserRes.Status.Code != rpc.Code_CODE_OK {
-			err := status.NewErrorFromCode(getUserRes.Status.Code, "authsvc")
-			return &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
-				Status: status.NewUnauthenticated(ctx, err, "error getting user information"),
-			}, nil
-		}
-
-	*/
 	user := res.User
 
 	token, err := s.tokenmgr.MintToken(ctx, user)
@@ -126,6 +94,33 @@ func (s *svc) Authenticate(ctx context.Context, req *gateway.AuthenticateRequest
 		return res, nil
 	}
 
+	if s.c.DisableHomeCreationOnLogin {
+		gwRes := &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
+			Status: status.NewOK(ctx),
+			User:   res.User,
+			Token:  token,
+		}
+		return gwRes, nil
+	}
+
+	// create home directory
+	createHomeReq := &storageprovider.CreateHomeRequest{}
+	createHomeRes, err := s.CreateHome(ctx, createHomeReq)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Err(err).Msg("user id is nil")
+		return &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
+			Status: status.NewInternal(ctx, err, "error creating user home"),
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	if createHomeRes.Status.Code != rpc.Code_CODE_OK {
+		err := status.NewErrorFromCode(createHomeRes.Status.Code, "gateway")
+		log.Err(err).Msg("error calling Createhome")
+		return &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
+			Status: status.NewInternal(ctx, err, "error creating user home"),
+		}, nil
+	}
+
 	gwRes := &gateway.AuthenticateResponse{
 		Status: status.NewOK(ctx),
 		User:   res.User,
diff --git a/internal/grpc/services/gateway/gateway.go b/internal/grpc/services/gateway/gateway.go
index 31b6a2312e..6d223e1200 100644
--- a/internal/grpc/services/gateway/gateway.go
+++ b/internal/grpc/services/gateway/gateway.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ type config struct {
 	UserProviderEndpoint        string `mapstructure:"userprovidersvc"`
 	CommitShareToStorageGrant   bool   `mapstructure:"commit_share_to_storage_grant"`
 	CommitShareToStorageRef     bool   `mapstructure:"commit_share_to_storage_ref"`
+	DisableHomeCreationOnLogin  bool   `mapstructure:"disable_home_creation_on_login"`
 	DataGatewayEndpoint         string `mapstructure:"datagateway"`
 	TransferSharedSecret        string `mapstructure:"transfer_shared_secret"`
 	TranserExpires              int64  `mapstructure:"transfer_expires"`