diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/Logging.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/Logging.java
index 4c9e04e..cbcb1b0 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/Logging.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/Logging.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 import com.google.gwt.logging.server.StackTraceDeobfuscator;
 import com.google.gwt.user.client.rpc.RpcRequestBuilder;
 
+import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
+
 /**
  * Server side object that handles log messages sent by
  * {@link com.google.gwt.requestfactory.client.RequestFactoryLogHandler}.
@@ -33,15 +35,22 @@
   /**
    * Logs a message.
    * 
-   * @param logRecordJson a log record in JSON format.
+   * @param serializedLogRecordString a json serialized LogRecord, as provided by
+   * {@link com.google.gwt.logging.client.JsonLogRecordClientUtil.logRecordAsJsonObject(LogRecord)}
    * @throws RemoteLoggingException if logging fails
    */
   public static void logMessage(String logRecordJson)
       throws RemoteLoggingException {
-    // if the header does not exist, we pass null, which is handled gracefully
-    // by the deobfuscation code.
-    String strongName = RequestFactoryServlet.getThreadLocalRequest().getHeader(
-        RpcRequestBuilder.STRONG_NAME_HEADER);
+    /*
+     * if the header does not exist, we pass null, which is handled gracefully
+     * by the deobfuscation code.
+     */
+    HttpServletRequest threadLocalRequest = RequestFactoryServlet.getThreadLocalRequest();
+    String strongName = null;
+    if (threadLocalRequest != null) {
+      // can be null during tests
+      threadLocalRequest.getHeader(RpcRequestBuilder.STRONG_NAME_HEADER);
+    }
     RemoteLoggingServiceUtil.logOnServer(logRecordJson, strongName,
         deobfuscator, null);
   }
diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.java
index 2108542..ed21fc4 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.java
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@
       if (!seen.add(name)) {
         return;
       }
-      if (!"java/lang/Object".equals(superName)) {
+      if (!objectType.getInternalName().equals(superName)) {
         RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.this.visit(logger, superName, this);
       }
       if (interfaces != null) {
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@
   private class SupertypeCollector extends EmptyVisitor {
     private final ErrorContext logger;
     private final Set<String> seen = new HashSet<String>();
-    private final List<Type> supertypes = new ArrayList<Type>();
+    private final List<Type> supers = new ArrayList<Type>();
 
     public SupertypeCollector(ErrorContext logger) {
       this.logger = logger;
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@
     public List<Type> exec(Type type) {
       RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.this.visit(logger,
           type.getInternalName(), this);
-      return supertypes;
+      return supers;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -402,8 +402,8 @@
       if (!seen.add(name)) {
         return;
       }
-      supertypes.add(Type.getObjectType(name));
-      if (!"java/lang/Object".equals(name)) {
+      supers.add(Type.getObjectType(name));
+      if (!objectType.getInternalName().equals(name)) {
         RequestFactoryInterfaceValidator.this.visit(logger, superName, this);
       }
       if (interfaces != null) {
@@ -787,22 +787,46 @@
       String clientTypeBinaryName) {
     Type key = Type.getObjectType(BinaryName.toInternalName(domainTypeBinaryName));
     List<Type> found = domainToClientType.get(key);
+
+    /*
+     * If nothing was found look for proxyable supertypes the domain object can
+     * be upcast to. 
+     */
+    if (found == null || found.isEmpty()) {
+      List<Type> types = getSupertypes(parentLogger, key);
+      for (Type type : types) {
+        if (objectType.equals(type)) {
+          break;
+        }
+
+        found = domainToClientType.get(type);
+        if (found != null && !found.isEmpty()) {
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    
     if (found == null || found.isEmpty()) {
       return null;
     }
+    
+    Type typeToReturn = null;
+    
     // Common case
     if (found.size() == 1) {
-      return found.get(0).getClassName();
-    }
-
-    // Search for the first assignable type
-    Type assignableTo = Type.getObjectType(BinaryName.toInternalName(clientTypeBinaryName));
-    for (Type t : found) {
-      if (isAssignable(parentLogger, assignableTo, t)) {
-        return t.getClassName();
+      typeToReturn = found.get(0);
+    } else {
+      // Search for the first assignable type
+      Type assignableTo = Type.getObjectType(BinaryName.toInternalName(clientTypeBinaryName));
+      for (Type t : found) {
+        if (isAssignable(parentLogger, assignableTo, t)) {
+          typeToReturn = t;
+          break;
+        }
       }
     }
-    return null;
+    
+    return typeToReturn == null ? null : typeToReturn.getClassName();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -1099,7 +1123,7 @@
    */
   private Type getReturnType(ErrorContext logger, RFMethod method) {
     logger = logger.setMethod(method);
-    final String[] returnType = {"java/lang/Object"};
+    final String[] returnType = { objectType.getInternalName() };
     String signature = method.getSignature();
 
     final int expectedCount;
@@ -1147,7 +1171,9 @@
     if (toReturn != null) {
       return toReturn;
     }
+    
     logger = logger.setType(type);
+    
     toReturn = new SupertypeCollector(logger).exec(type);
     supertypes.put(type, Collections.unmodifiableList(toReturn));
     return toReturn;
diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/UserInformation.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/UserInformation.java
index c16554b..4d3ac97 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/UserInformation.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/UserInformation.java
@@ -18,36 +18,63 @@
 
 /**
  * A base class for providing authentication related information about the user.
- * Services that want real authentication should subclass this class.
+ * Services that want real authentication should subclass this class with a
+ * matching constructor, and set their class name via
+ * {@link #setUserInformationImplClass(String)}.
  */
 public abstract class UserInformation {
 
+  /**
+   * Reset by {@link #getCurrentUserInformation}, which is called by
+   * {@link RequestFactoryServlet#doPost} at the start of each request, so
+   * shouldn't leak between re-used threads.
+   */
+  private static final ThreadLocal<UserInformation> currentUser = new ThreadLocal<UserInformation>();
+
   private static String userInformationImplClass = "";
 
   /**
-   * Returns the current user information for a given redirect URL. If
-   * {@link #setUserInformationImplClass(String)} has been called with a class
-   * name, that class is used to gather the information by calling a (String)
-   * constructor. If the impl class name is "", or if the class cannont be
-   * instantiated, dummy user info is returned.
+   * Instance finder method required by RequestFactory. Returns the last
+   * UserInformation established for this thread by a call to
+   * getCurrentUserInformation, or null if non has been set.
+   * 
+   * @param id ignored, required by RequestFactoryServlet
+   */
+  public static UserInformation findUserInformation(Long id) {
+    return currentUser.get();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Called by {@link RequestFactoryServlet#doPost} at the start of each request
+   * received. Establishes the current user information for this request, and
+   * notes a redirect url to be provided back to the client if the user's bona
+   * fides cannot be established. All succeeding calls to
+   * {@link #findUserInformation(Long)} made from the same thread will return
+   * the same UserInfo instance.
+   * <p>
+   * If {@link #setUserInformationImplClass(String)} has been called with a
+   * class name, that class is used to gather the information by calling a
+   * (String) constructor. If the impl class name is "", or if the class cannont
+   * be instantiated, dummy user info is returned.
    * 
    * @param redirectUrl the redirect URL as a String
    * @return a {@link UserInformation} instance
    */
   public static UserInformation getCurrentUserInformation(String redirectUrl) {
-    UserInformation userInfo = null;
+    currentUser.remove();
     if (!"".equals(userInformationImplClass)) {
       try {
-        userInfo = (UserInformation) Class.forName(userInformationImplClass).getConstructor(
-            String.class).newInstance(redirectUrl);
+        currentUser.set((UserInformation) Class.forName(
+            userInformationImplClass).getConstructor(String.class).newInstance(
+            redirectUrl));
       } catch (Exception e) {
         e.printStackTrace();
       }
     }
-    if (userInfo == null) {
-      userInfo = new UserInformationSimpleImpl(redirectUrl);
+    if (currentUser.get() == null) {
+      currentUser.set(new UserInformationSimpleImpl(redirectUrl));
     }
-    return userInfo;
+    return currentUser.get();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/LoggingRequest.java b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/LoggingRequest.java
index 53d7802..776d9f4 100644
--- a/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/LoggingRequest.java
+++ b/user/src/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/LoggingRequest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
   /**
    * Log a message on the server.
    *
-   * @param serializedLogRecordString a String
+   * @param serializedLogRecordString a json serialized LogRecord, as provided by
+   * {@link com.google.gwt.logging.client.JsonLogRecordClientUtil.logRecordAsJsonObject(LogRecord)}
    * @return a Void {@link Request}
    */
   Request<Void> logMessage(String serializedLogRecordString);
diff --git a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/client/RequestFactoryTest.java b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/client/RequestFactoryTest.java
index 19d5130..b50b784 100644
--- a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/client/RequestFactoryTest.java
+++ b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/client/RequestFactoryTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared.SimpleFooProxy;
 import com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared.SimpleFooRequest;
 import com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared.SimpleValueProxy;
+import com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared.UserInformationProxy;
 import com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared.Violation;
 import com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared.impl.SimpleEntityProxyId;
 
@@ -382,6 +383,18 @@
         });
   }
 
+  public void testDomainUpcast() {
+    delayTestFinish(DELAY_TEST_FINISH);
+    simpleFooRequest().returnSimpleFooSubclass().fire(
+        new Receiver<SimpleFooProxy>() {
+          @Override
+          public void onSuccess(SimpleFooProxy response) {
+            assertEquals(42, response.getIntId().intValue());
+            finishTestAndReset();
+          }
+        });
+  }
+
   public void testDummyCreate() {
     delayTestFinish(DELAY_TEST_FINISH);
 
@@ -689,6 +702,26 @@
       }
     });
   }
+  
+  /**
+   * Make sure our stock RF logging service keeps receiving.
+   */
+  public void testLoggingService() {
+    String logRecordJson = new StringBuilder("{").append("\"level\": \"ALL\", ")
+      .append("\"loggerName\": \"logger\", ")
+      .append("\"msg\": \"Hi mom\", ")
+      .append("\"timestamp\": \"1234567890\",")
+      .append("\"thrown\": {}")
+      .append("}")
+      .toString();
+
+    req.loggingRequest().logMessage(logRecordJson).fire(new Receiver<Void>() {
+      @Override
+      public void onSuccess(Void response) {
+        finishTestAndReset();
+      }
+    });
+  }
 
   /*
    * tests that (a) any method can have a side effect that is handled correctly.
@@ -1921,6 +1954,25 @@
   }
 
   /**
+   * We provide a simple UserInformation class to give GAE developers a hand,
+   * and other developers a hint. Make sure RF doesn't break it (it relies on
+   * server side upcasting, and a somewhat sleazey reflective lookup mechanism
+   * in a static method on UserInformation). 
+   */
+  public void testUserInfo() {
+    req.userInformationRequest().getCurrentUserInformation("").fire(
+        new Receiver<UserInformationProxy>() {
+          @Override
+          public void onSuccess(UserInformationProxy getResponse) {
+            assertEquals("Dummy Email", getResponse.getEmail());
+            assertEquals("Dummy User", getResponse.getName());
+            assertEquals("", getResponse.getLoginUrl());
+            assertEquals("", getResponse.getLogoutUrl());
+          }
+        });
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Check if a graph of unpersisted objects can be echoed.
    */
   public void testUnpersistedEchoComplexGraph() {
diff --git a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/SimpleFoo.java b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/SimpleFoo.java
index 460621d..4a1bfb7 100644
--- a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/SimpleFoo.java
+++ b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/server/SimpleFoo.java
@@ -278,6 +278,11 @@
   public static String returnNullString() {
     return null;
   }
+  
+  public static SimpleFoo returnSimpleFooSubclass() {
+    return new SimpleFoo() {
+    };
+  }
 
   public static SimpleValue returnValueProxy() {
     SimpleValue toReturn = new SimpleValue();
diff --git a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleFooRequest.java b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleFooRequest.java
index a166f9e..cd174be 100644
--- a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleFooRequest.java
+++ b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleFooRequest.java
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@
 
   Request<String> returnNullString();
 
+  Request<SimpleFooProxy> returnSimpleFooSubclass();
+
   Request<SimpleValueProxy> returnValueProxy();
 
   InstanceRequest<SimpleFooProxy, Integer> sum(List<Integer> values);
diff --git a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleRequestFactory.java b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleRequestFactory.java
index aaea4dc..812858a 100644
--- a/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleRequestFactory.java
+++ b/user/test/com/google/gwt/requestfactory/shared/SimpleRequestFactory.java
@@ -16,11 +16,16 @@
 package com.google.gwt.requestfactory.shared;
 
 /**
- * Creates SimpleFooRequests.
+ * Simple RequesetFactory interface with two domain objects, and our standard
+ * UserInformation and Logging services.
  */
 public interface SimpleRequestFactory extends RequestFactory {
 
-  SimpleFooRequest simpleFooRequest();
+  LoggingRequest loggingRequest();
 
   SimpleBarRequest simpleBarRequest();
+  
+  SimpleFooRequest simpleFooRequest();
+
+  UserInformationRequest userInformationRequest();
 }