diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c4d4b81528..b14ee1e15f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
     "lodash": "^3.9.3",
     "loopback": "https://github.com/FreeCodeCamp/loopback.git#fix/no-password",
     "loopback-boot": "^2.8.0",
-    "loopback-component-passport": "^1.5.0",
+    "loopback-component-passport": "https://github.com/FreeCodeCamp/loopback-component-passport.git#feature/flashfailure",
     "loopback-connector-mongodb": "^1.10.0",
     "lusca": "~1.0.2",
     "method-override": "~2.3.0",
diff --git a/server/boot/a-extendUserIdent.js b/server/boot/a-extendUserIdent.js
index 1d504b5b4e..f5f5e9ebc7 100644
--- a/server/boot/a-extendUserIdent.js
+++ b/server/boot/a-extendUserIdent.js
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+import{ Observable } from 'rx';
 import { observeMethod, observeQuery } from '../utils/rx';
 import { getSocialProvider } from '../utils/auth';
+import debugFactory from 'debug';
+
+const debug = debugFactory('fcc:userIdent');
 
 export default function({ models }) {
   const { User, UserIdentity, UserCredential } = models;
@@ -20,15 +24,18 @@ export default function({ models }) {
       options = {};
     }
     const user$ = findUserById(userId);
-    console.log('provider', provider);
-    console.log('id', profile.id);
-    findIdent({
-      provider: getSocialProvider(provider),
-      externalId: profile.id
-    })
+    const query = {
+      where: {
+        provider: getSocialProvider(provider),
+        externalId: profile.id
+      }
+    };
+
+    debug('link identity query', query);
+    findIdent(query)
       .flatMap(identity => {
         const modified = new Date();
-        if (!identity || identity.externalId !== profile.id) {
+        if (!identity) {
           return observeQuery(UserIdentity, 'create', {
             provider: getSocialProvider(provider),
             externalId: profile.id,
@@ -40,6 +47,11 @@ export default function({ models }) {
             modified
           });
         }
+        if (identity.userId !== userId) {
+          return Observable.throw(
+            new Error('An account is already linked to that profile')
+          );
+        }
         identity.credentials = credentials;
         return observeQuery(identity, 'updateAttributes', {
           profile: getSocialProvider(provider),
diff --git a/server/views/partials/flash.jade b/server/views/partials/flash.jade
index e69a6d69bc..512e7ae7a4 100644
--- a/server/views/partials/flash.jade
+++ b/server/views/partials/flash.jade
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 .row
     .col-xs-12
-        if messages.errors
+        if (messages.errors || messages.error)
           .alert.alert-danger.fade.in
             button.close(type='button', data-dismiss='alert')
               span.ion-close-circled
-            for error in messages.errors
-              div!= error.msg
+            for error in (messages.errors || messages.error)
+              div!= error.msg || error
         if messages.info
           .alert.alert-info.fade.in
             button.close(type='button', data-dismiss='alert')