diff --git a/src/actions/auth.js b/src/actions/auth.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4adff757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/actions/auth.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { currentBackend } from '../backends/backend';
+
+export const AUTH_REQUEST = 'AUTH_REQUEST';
+export const AUTH_SUCCESS = 'AUTH_SUCCESS';
+export const AUTH_FAILURE = 'AUTH_FAILURE';
+
+export function authenticating() {
+  return {
+    type: AUTH_REQUEST
+  };
+}
+
+export function authenticate(userData) {
+  return {
+    type: AUTH_SUCCESS,
+    payload: userData
+  };
+}
+
+export function authError(error) {
+  return {
+    type: AUTH_FAILURE,
+    error: 'Failed to authenticate',
+    payload: error,
+  };
+}
+
+export function loginUser(credentials) {
+  return (dispatch, getState) => {
+    const state = getState();
+    const backend = currentBackend(state.config);
+
+    dispatch(authenticating());
+    backend.authenticate(credentials)
+      .then((user) => dispatch(authenticate(user)))
+      .catch((err) => dispatch(authError(err)));
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/actions/config.js b/src/actions/config.js
index 85141672..1bb3a346 100644
--- a/src/actions/config.js
+++ b/src/actions/config.js
@@ -1,27 +1,25 @@
 import yaml from 'js-yaml';
 
-export const CONFIG = {
-  REQUEST: 'REQUEST',
-  SUCCESS: 'SUCCESS',
-  FAILURE: 'FAILURE'
-};
+export const CONFIG_REQUEST = 'CONFIG_REQUEST';
+export const CONFIG_SUCCESS = 'CONFIG_SUCCESS';
+export const CONFIG_FAILURE = 'CONFIG_FAILURE';
 
 export function configLoaded(config) {
   return {
-    type: CONFIG.SUCCESS,
+    type: CONFIG_SUCCESS,
     payload: config
   };
 }
 
 export function configLoading() {
   return {
-    type: CONFIG.REQUEST
+    type: CONFIG_REQUEST
   };
 }
 
 export function configFailed(err) {
   return {
-    type: CONFIG.FAILURE,
+    type: CONFIG_FAILURE,
     error: 'Error loading config',
     payload: err
   };
diff --git a/src/backends/backend.js b/src/backends/backend.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..073b96f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backends/backend.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import TestRepoBackend from './test-repo/Implementation';
+
+export function resolveBackend(config) {
+  const name = config.getIn(['backend', 'name']);
+  if (name == null) {
+    throw 'No backend defined in configuration';
+  }
+
+  switch (name) {
+    case 'test-repo':
+      return new Backend(new TestRepoBackend(config));
+    default:
+      throw `Backend not found: ${name}`;
+  }
+}
+
+class Backend {
+  constructor(implementation, authStore = null) {
+    this.implementation = implementation;
+    this.authStore = authStore;
+    if (this.implementation == null) {
+      throw 'Cannot instantiate a Backend with no implementation';
+    }
+  }
+
+  currentUser() {
+    if (this.user) { return this.user; }
+    return this.authStore && this.authStore.retrieve();
+  }
+
+  authComponent() {
+    return this.implementation.authComponent();
+  }
+
+  authenticate(state) {
+    return this.implementation.authenticate(state);
+  }
+}
+
+export const currentBackend = (function() {
+  let backend = null;
+
+  return (config) => {
+    if (backend) { return backend; }
+    if (config.get('backend')) {
+      return backend = resolveBackend(config);
+    }
+  };
+})();
diff --git a/src/backends/test-repo/AuthenticationPage.js b/src/backends/test-repo/AuthenticationPage.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e46d546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backends/test-repo/AuthenticationPage.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+export default class AuthenticationPage extends React.Component {
+  static propTypes = {
+    onLogin: React.PropTypes.func.isRequired
+  };
+
+  constructor(props) {
+    super(props);
+    this.state = {email: ''};
+    this.handleLogin = this.handleLogin.bind(this);
+    this.handleEmailChange = this.handleEmailChange.bind(this);
+  }
+
+  handleLogin() {
+    this.props.onLogin(this.state);
+  }
+
+  handleEmailChange(e) {
+    this.setState({email: e.target.value});
+  }
+
+  render() {
+    return <div>
+      <p>
+        <label>Your name or email: <input type='text' onChange={this.handleEmailChange}/></label>
+      </p>
+      <p>
+        <button onClick={this.handleLogin}>Login</button>
+      </p>
+    </div>;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/backends/test-repo/implementation.js b/src/backends/test-repo/implementation.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f029d873
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backends/test-repo/implementation.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import AuthenticationPage from './AuthenticationPage';
+
+export default class TestRepo {
+  constructor(config) {
+    this.config = config;
+  }
+
+  authComponent() {
+    return AuthenticationPage;
+  }
+
+  authenticate(state) {
+    return Promise.resolve({email: state.email});
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/containers/App.js b/src/containers/App.js
index 2f001964..629169e0 100644
--- a/src/containers/App.js
+++ b/src/containers/App.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { loadConfig } from '../actions/config';
+import { loginUser } from '../actions/auth';
+import { currentBackend } from '../backends/backend';
 
 class App extends React.Component {
   constructor(props) {
@@ -11,6 +13,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     this.props.dispatch(loadConfig());
   }
 
+  componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
+    //this.props.dispatch(loadBackend());
+  }
+
   configError(config) {
     return <div>
       <h1>Error loading the CMS configuration</h1>
@@ -28,8 +34,29 @@ class App extends React.Component {
     </div>;
   }
 
+  handleLogin(credentials) {
+    this.props.dispatch(loginUser(credentials));
+  }
+
+  authenticating() {
+    const { auth } = this.props;
+    const backend = currentBackend(this.props.config);
+
+    if (backend == null) {
+      return <div><h1>Waiting for backend...</h1></div>;
+    }
+
+    return <div>
+      {React.createElement(backend.authComponent(), {
+        onLogin: this.handleLogin.bind(this),
+        error: auth && auth.get('error'),
+        isFetching: auth && auth.get('isFetching')
+      })}
+    </div>;
+  }
+
   render() {
-    const { config, children } = this.props;
+    const { user, config, children } = this.props;
 
     if (config === null) {
       return null;
@@ -43,6 +70,10 @@ class App extends React.Component {
       return this.configLoading();
     }
 
+    if (user == null) {
+      return this.authenticating();
+    }
+
     return (
       <div>{children}</div>
     );
@@ -50,7 +81,11 @@ class App extends React.Component {
 }
 
 function mapStateToProps(state) {
+  const { auth } = state;
+
   return {
+    auth: auth,
+    user: auth && auth.get('user'),
     config: state.config
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/containers/NotFoundPage.js b/src/containers/NotFoundPage.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1361270a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/containers/NotFoundPage.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+export default () => (
+  <h2>Not Found</h2>
+);
diff --git a/src/reducers/auth.js b/src/reducers/auth.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4a4573cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/reducers/auth.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import Immutable from 'immutable';
+import { AUTH_REQUEST, AUTH_SUCCESS, AUTH_FAILURE } from '../actions/auth';
+
+export function auth(state = null, action) {
+  switch (action.type) {
+    case AUTH_REQUEST:
+      return Immutable.Map({isFetching: true});
+    case AUTH_SUCCESS:
+      return Immutable.fromJS({user: action.payload});
+    case AUTH_FAILURE:
+      return Immutable.Map({error: action.payload.toString()});
+    default:
+      return state;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/reducers/collections.js b/src/reducers/collections.js
index cee6d770..5451dbbb 100644
--- a/src/reducers/collections.js
+++ b/src/reducers/collections.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import Immutable from 'immutable';
-import { CONFIG } from '../actions/config';
+import { CONFIG_SUCCESS } from '../actions/config';
 
 export function collections(state = null, action) {
   switch (action.type) {
-    case CONFIG.SUCCESS:
+    case CONFIG_SUCCESS:
       const collections = action.payload && action.payload.collections;
       return Immutable.OrderedMap().withMutations((map) => {
         (collections || []).forEach(function(collection) {
diff --git a/src/reducers/config.js b/src/reducers/config.js
index 740c7db9..c343001a 100644
--- a/src/reducers/config.js
+++ b/src/reducers/config.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import Immutable from 'immutable';
-import { CONFIG } from '../actions/config';
+import { CONFIG_REQUEST, CONFIG_SUCCESS, CONFIG_FAILURE } from '../actions/config';
 
 export function config(state = null, action) {
   switch (action.type) {
-    case CONFIG.REQUEST:
+    case CONFIG_REQUEST:
       return Immutable.Map({isFetching: true});
-    case CONFIG.SUCCESS:
+    case CONFIG_SUCCESS:
       return Immutable.fromJS(action.payload);
-    case CONFIG.FAILURE:
+    case CONFIG_FAILURE:
       return Immutable.Map({error: action.payload.toString()});
     default:
       return state;
diff --git a/src/routes/routes.js b/src/routes/routes.js
index 340c47cf..98eed6d1 100644
--- a/src/routes/routes.js
+++ b/src/routes/routes.js
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { Router, Route, IndexRoute, browserHistory } from 'react-router';
 import App from '../containers/App';
 import DashboardPage from '../containers/DashboardPage';
+import NotFoundPage from '../containers/NotFoundPage';
 
 export default () => (
   <Router history={browserHistory}>
     <Route path="/" component={App}>
       <IndexRoute component={DashboardPage}/>
+      <Route path="*" component={NotFoundPage}/>
     </Route>
   </Router>
 );
diff --git a/src/store/configureStore.js b/src/store/configureStore.js
index ffb31c87..92ea91d3 100644
--- a/src/store/configureStore.js
+++ b/src/store/configureStore.js
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ import { createStore, applyMiddleware, combineReducers, compose } from 'redux';
 import thunkMiddleware from 'redux-thunk';
 import { browserHistory } from 'react-router';
 import { syncHistory, routeReducer } from 'react-router-redux';
+import { auth } from '../reducers/auth';
 import { config } from '../reducers/config';
 import { collections } from '../reducers/collections';
 
 const reducer = combineReducers({
+  auth,
   config,
   collections,
   router: routeReducer
diff --git a/test/reducers/auth.spec.js b/test/reducers/auth.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d766f53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/reducers/auth.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import expect from 'expect';
+import Immutable from 'immutable';
+import { authenticating, authenticate, authError } from '../../src/actions/auth';
+import { auth } from '../../src/reducers/auth';
+
+describe('auth', () => {
+  it('should handle an empty state', () => {
+    expect(
+      auth(undefined, {})
+    ).toEqual(
+      null
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should handle an authentication request', () => {
+    expect(
+      auth(undefined, authenticating())
+    ).toEqual(
+      Immutable.Map({isFetching: true})
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should handle authentication', () => {
+    expect(
+      auth(undefined, authenticate({email: 'joe@example.com'}))
+    ).toEqual(
+      Immutable.fromJS({user: {email: 'joe@example.com'}})
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should handle an authentication error', () => {
+    expect(
+      auth(undefined, authError(new Error('Bad credentials')))
+    ).toEqual(
+      Immutable.Map({
+        error: 'Error: Bad credentials'
+      })
+    );
+  });
+});