diff --git a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
index 09848d90449..5738948ebd3 100644
--- a/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/auth/auth.service.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ import {
   UnsetUserAsIdleAction
 } from './auth.actions';
 import { NativeWindowRef, NativeWindowService } from '../services/window.service';
-import { Base64EncodeUrl } from '../../shared/utils/encode-decode.util';
 import { RouteService } from '../services/route.service';
 import { EPersonDataService } from '../eperson/eperson-data.service';
 import { getAllSucceededRemoteDataPayload } from '../shared/operators';
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ export class AuthService {
    */
   public authenticate(user: string, password: string): Observable<AuthStatus> {
     // Attempt authenticating the user using the supplied credentials.
-    const body = (`password=${Base64EncodeUrl(password)}&user=${Base64EncodeUrl(user)}`);
+    const body = (`password=${encodeURIComponent(password)}&user=${encodeURIComponent(user)}`);
     const options: HttpOptions = Object.create({});
     let headers = new HttpHeaders();
     headers = headers.append('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
diff --git a/src/app/shared/utils/encode-decode.util.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/utils/encode-decode.util.spec.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index c3039c482e2..00000000000
--- a/src/app/shared/utils/encode-decode.util.spec.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-import { Base64EncodeUrl } from './encode-decode.util';
-
-describe('Encode/Decode Utils', () => {
-  const strng = '+string+/=t-';
-  const encodedStrng = '%2Bstring%2B%2F%3Dt-';
-
-  it('should return encoded string', () => {
-    expect(Base64EncodeUrl(strng)).toBe(encodedStrng);
-  });
-});
diff --git a/src/app/shared/utils/encode-decode.util.ts b/src/app/shared/utils/encode-decode.util.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index e21034b7bde..00000000000
--- a/src/app/shared/utils/encode-decode.util.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * use this to make a Base64 encoded string URL friendly,
- * i.e. '+' and '/' are replaced with special percent-encoded hexadecimal sequences
- *
- * @param {String} str the encoded string
- * @returns {String} the URL friendly encoded String
- */
-export function Base64EncodeUrl(str): string {
-  return str.replace(/\+/g, '%2B').replace(/\//g, '%2F').replace(/\=/g, '%3D');
-}