diff --git a/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0JWTMiddleware.php b/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0JWTMiddleware.php
index 16e9e168..6bbc3feb 100644
--- a/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0JWTMiddleware.php
+++ b/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0JWTMiddleware.php
@@ -12,37 +12,44 @@ public function __construct(Auth0UserRepository $userRepository) {
         $this->userRepository = $userRepository;
     }
 
+    protected function getToken($request) {
+        // Get the encrypted user JWT
+        $authorizationHeader = $request->header("Authorization");
+        return trim(str_replace('Bearer ', '', $authorizationHeader));
+    }
+
+    protected function validateToken($token) {
+        return ($token !== '');
+    }
+
     public function handle($request, \Closure $next)
     {
         $auth0 = \App::make('auth0');
 
-        // Get the encrypted user JWT
-        $authorizationHeader = $request->header("Authorization");
-        $encUser = str_replace('Bearer ', '', $authorizationHeader);
-
-        if (trim($encUser) == '') {
+        $token = $this->getToken($request);
+        
+        if ( ! $this->validateToken($token)) {
             return \Response::make("Unauthorized user", 401);
         }
 
-        try {
-            $jwtUser = $auth0->decodeJWT($encUser);
-        }
-        catch(CoreException $e) {
-            return \Response::make("Unauthorized user", 401);
-        }
-        catch(Exception $e) {
-            echo $e;exit;
-        }
+        if ($token) {
+            try {
+                $jwtUser = $auth0->decodeJWT($token);
+            }
+            catch(CoreException $e) {
+                return \Response::make("Unauthorized user", 401);
+            }
 
-        // if it does not represent a valid user, return a HTTP 401
-        $user = $this->userRepository->getUserByDecodedJWT($jwtUser);
+            // if it does not represent a valid user, return a HTTP 401
+            $user = $this->userRepository->getUserByDecodedJWT($jwtUser);
 
-        if (!$user) {
-            return \Response::make("Unauthorized user", 401);
-        }
+            if (!$user) {
+                return \Response::make("Unauthorized user", 401);
+            }
 
-        // lets log the user in so it is accessible
-        \Auth::login($user);
+            // lets log the user in so it is accessible
+            \Auth::login($user);
+        }
 
         // continue the execution
         return $next($request);
diff --git a/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0OptionalJWTMiddleware.php b/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0OptionalJWTMiddleware.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2bb76f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/Auth0OptionalJWTMiddleware.php
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?php namespace Auth0\Login\Middleware;
+
+class Auth0OptionalJWTMiddleware extends Auth0JWTMiddleware {
+
+    protected function validateToken($token) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/ForceAuthMiddleware.php b/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/ForceAuthMiddleware.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..810b4f0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Auth0/Login/Middleware/ForceAuthMiddleware.php
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?php namespace Auth0\Login\Middleware;
+
+class ForceAuthMiddleware {
+
+    public function handle($request, \Closure $next)
+    {
+        if ( ! \Auth::check()) {
+            return \Response::make("Unauthorized user", 401);
+        }
+
+        return $next($request);
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file