diff --git a/lib/auth.js b/lib/auth.js
index 7ff3157d8..4ef98eac3 100755
--- a/lib/auth.js
+++ b/lib/auth.js
@@ -262,9 +262,10 @@ internals.Auth.prototype._authenticate = function (request, next) {
         // Check scope
 
         if (config.scope) {
-            if (!credentials.scope ||                                                                                   // Credentials missing scope
-                (typeof config.scope === 'string' && credentials.scope.indexOf(config.scope) === -1) ||                 // String scope isn't in credentials
-                (Array.isArray(config.scope) && !Hoek.intersect(config.scope, credentials.scope).length)) {            // Array scope doesn't intersect credentials
+            if (!credentials.scope ||
+                (typeof config.scope === 'string' ?
+                    (typeof credentials.scope === 'string' ? config.scope !== credentials.scope : credentials.scope.indexOf(config.scope) === -1) :
+                    (typeof credentials.scope === 'string' ? config.scope.indexOf(credentials.scope) === -1 : !Hoek.intersect(config.scope, credentials.scope).length))) {
 
                 request.log(['hapi', 'auth', 'scope', 'error'], { got: credentials.scope, need: config.scope });
                 return next(Boom.forbidden('Insufficient scope - ' + config.scope + ' expected'));
diff --git a/test/auth.js b/test/auth.js
index 32881292b..0322ea914 100755
--- a/test/auth.js
+++ b/test/auth.js
@@ -362,18 +362,18 @@ describe('Auth', function () {
         });
     });
 
-    it('matches scope', function (done) {
+    it('matches scope (array to single)', function (done) {
 
         var server = new Hapi.Server();
         server.auth.scheme('custom', internals.implementation);
-        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: ['a'] } } });
+        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: ['one'] } } });
         server.route({
             method: 'GET',
             path: '/',
             config: {
                 handler: function (request, reply) { reply(request.auth.credentials.user); },
                 auth: {
-                    scope: 'a'
+                    scope: 'one'
                 }
             }
         });
@@ -385,18 +385,64 @@ describe('Auth', function () {
         });
     });
 
-    it('matches array scope', function (done) {
+    it('matches scope (array to array)', function (done) {
 
         var server = new Hapi.Server();
         server.auth.scheme('custom', internals.implementation);
-        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: ['a', 'b'] } } });
+        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: ['one', 'two'] } } });
+        server.route({
+            method: 'GET',
+            path: '/',
+            config: {
+                handler: function (request, reply) { reply(request.auth.credentials.user); },
+                auth: {
+                    scope: ['one', 'three']
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        server.inject({ url: '/', headers: { authorization: 'Custom steve' } }, function (res) {
+
+            expect(res.statusCode).to.equal(200);
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('matches scope (single to array)', function (done) {
+
+        var server = new Hapi.Server();
+        server.auth.scheme('custom', internals.implementation);
+        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: 'one' } } });
+        server.route({
+            method: 'GET',
+            path: '/',
+            config: {
+                handler: function (request, reply) { reply(request.auth.credentials.user); },
+                auth: {
+                    scope: ['one', 'three']
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        server.inject({ url: '/', headers: { authorization: 'Custom steve' } }, function (res) {
+
+            expect(res.statusCode).to.equal(200);
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('matches scope (single to single)', function (done) {
+
+        var server = new Hapi.Server();
+        server.auth.scheme('custom', internals.implementation);
+        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: 'one' } } });
         server.route({
             method: 'GET',
             path: '/',
             config: {
                 handler: function (request, reply) { reply(request.auth.credentials.user); },
                 auth: {
-                    scope: ['a', 'c']
+                    scope: 'one'
                 }
             }
         });
@@ -408,6 +454,29 @@ describe('Auth', function () {
         });
     });
 
+    it('does not match scope (single to single)', function (done) {
+
+        var server = new Hapi.Server();
+        server.auth.scheme('custom', internals.implementation);
+        server.auth.strategy('default', 'custom', true, { users: { steve: { scope: 'one' } } });
+        server.route({
+            method: 'GET',
+            path: '/',
+            config: {
+                handler: function (request, reply) { reply(request.auth.credentials.user); },
+                auth: {
+                    scope: 'onex'
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        server.inject({ url: '/', headers: { authorization: 'Custom steve' } }, function (res) {
+
+            expect(res.statusCode).to.equal(403);
+            done();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('errors on missing scope', function (done) {
 
         var server = new Hapi.Server();