diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index 1c53b0b21a3..590f9383f7f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   include GitlabRoutingHelper
   include PageLayoutHelper
 
-  before_action :authenticate_user_from_token!
+  before_action :authenticate_user_from_private_token!
+  before_action :authenticate_user_from_personal_access_token!
   before_action :authenticate_user!
   before_action :validate_user_service_ticket!
   before_action :reject_blocked!
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
 
   # From https://github.com/plataformatec/devise/wiki/How-To:-Simple-Token-Authentication-Example
   # https://gist.github.com/josevalim/fb706b1e933ef01e4fb6
-  def authenticate_user_from_token!
+  def authenticate_user_from_private_token!
     user_token = if params[:authenticity_token].presence
                    params[:authenticity_token].presence
                  elsif params[:private_token].presence
@@ -84,6 +85,20 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
     end
   end
 
+  def authenticate_user_from_personal_access_token!
+    token_string = params[:personal_access_token].presence || request.headers['PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN'].presence
+    personal_access_token = PersonalAccessToken.active.find_by_token(token_string)
+    user = personal_access_token && personal_access_token.user
+
+    if user
+      # Notice we are passing store false, so the user is not
+      # actually stored in the session and a token is needed
+      # for every request. If you want the token to work as a
+      # sign in token, you can simply remove store: false.
+      sign_in user, store: false
+    end
+  end
+
   def authenticate_user!(*args)
     if redirect_to_home_page_url?
       redirect_to current_application_settings.home_page_url and return
diff --git a/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
index 186239d3096..1ec51465cd3 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
@@ -30,4 +30,70 @@ describe ApplicationController do
       controller.send(:check_password_expiration)
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#authenticate_user_from_private_token!" do
+    controller(ApplicationController) do
+      def index
+        render text: "authenticated"
+      end
+    end
+
+    let(:user) { create(:user) }
+
+    it "logs the user in when the 'authenticity_token' param is populated with the private token" do
+      get :index, authenticity_token: user.private_token
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to eq("authenticated")
+    end
+
+    it "logs the user in when the 'private_token' param is populated with the private token" do
+      get :index, private_token: user.private_token
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to eq("authenticated")
+    end
+
+    it "logs the user in when the 'PRIVATE-TOKEN' header is populated with the private token" do
+      @request.headers['PRIVATE-TOKEN'] = user.private_token
+      get :index
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to eq("authenticated")
+    end
+
+    it "doesn't log the user in otherwise" do
+      @request.headers['PRIVATE-TOKEN'] = "token"
+      get :index, private_token: "token", authenticity_token: "token"
+      expect(response.status).to_not eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to_not eq("authenticated")
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#authenticate_user_from_personal_access_token!" do
+    controller(ApplicationController) do
+      def index
+        render text: 'authenticated'
+      end
+    end
+
+    let(:user) { create(:user) }
+    let(:personal_access_token) { create(:personal_access_token, user: user) }
+
+    it "logs the user in when the 'personal_access_token' param is populated with the personal access token" do
+      get :index, personal_access_token: personal_access_token.token
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to eq('authenticated')
+    end
+
+    it "logs the user in when the 'PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN' header is populated with the personal access token" do
+      @request.headers["PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN"] = personal_access_token.token
+      get :index
+      expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to eq('authenticated')
+    end
+
+    it "doesn't log the user in otherwise" do
+      get :index, personal_access_token: "token"
+      expect(response.status).to_not eq(200)
+      expect(response.body).to_not eq('authenticated')
+    end
+  end
 end