diff --git a/app/logical/session_loader.rb b/app/logical/session_loader.rb
index 1a7d6478d..8dc6331e4 100644
--- a/app/logical/session_loader.rb
+++ b/app/logical/session_loader.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class SessionLoader
   def initialize(request)
     @request = request
     @session = request.session
-    @params = request.parameters
+    @params = request.query_parameters
   end
 
   # Attempt to log a user in with the given username and password. Records a
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class SessionLoader
 
   # @return [Boolean] true if the current request has an API key
   def has_api_authentication?
-    request.authorization.present? || params[:login].present? || (params[:api_key].present? && params[:api_key].is_a?(String))
+    request.authorization.present? || params.has_key?(:login) || params.has_key?(:api_key)
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/test/functional/application_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/application_controller_test.rb
index edbb71528..00971ff46 100644
--- a/test/functional/application_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/application_controller_test.rb
@@ -165,19 +165,27 @@ class ApplicationControllerTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
         end
 
         should "fail for api key mismatches" do
-          get profile_path, as: :json, params: { login: @user.name }
+          get profile_path(login: @user.name), as: :json
           assert_response 401
 
-          get profile_path, as: :json, params: { api_key: @api_key.key }
+          get profile_path(api_key: @api_key.key), as: :json
           assert_response 401
 
-          get profile_path, as: :json, params: { login: @user.name, api_key: "bad" }
+          get profile_path(login: @user.name, api_key: "bad"), as: :json
+          assert_response 401
+        end
+
+        should "fail for a blank API key" do
+          get profile_path(login: ""), as: :json
+          assert_response 401
+
+          get profile_path(api_key: ""), as: :json
           assert_response 401
         end
 
         should "succeed for non-GET requests without a CSRF token" do
           assert_changes -> { @user.reload.enable_safe_mode }, from: false, to: true do
-            put user_path(@user), params: { login: @user.name, api_key: @api_key.key, user: { enable_safe_mode: "true" } }, as: :json
+            put user_path(@user, login: @user.name, api_key: @api_key.key), params: { user: { enable_safe_mode: "true" }}, as: :json
             assert_response :success
           end
         end
@@ -220,16 +228,16 @@ class ApplicationControllerTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
           @post = create(:post)
           @api_key = create(:api_key, permissions: ["posts:index", "posts:show"])
 
-          get posts_path, params: { login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key }
+          get posts_path(login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key)
           assert_response :success
 
-          get post_path(@post), params: { login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key }
+          get post_path(@post, login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key)
           assert_response :success
 
-          get tags_path, params: { login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key }
+          get tags_path(login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key)
           assert_response 403
 
-          put post_path(@post), params: { login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key, post: { rating: "s" }}
+          put post_path(@post, login: @api_key.user.name, api_key: @api_key.key), params: { post: { rating: "s" }}
           assert_response 403
 
           assert_equal(4, @api_key.reload.uses)
diff --git a/test/unit/session_loader_test.rb b/test/unit/session_loader_test.rb
index a97355fc5..d710f26fa 100644
--- a/test/unit/session_loader_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/session_loader_test.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ class SessionLoaderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       @request.stubs(:cookie_jar).returns({})
       @request.stubs(:cookies).returns({})
       @request.stubs(:parameters).returns({})
+      @request.stubs(:query_parameters).returns({})
       @request.stubs(:session).returns({})
       @request.stubs(:headers).returns({})
       SessionLoader.any_instance.stubs(:initialize_session_cookies)