diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 127ef757..c33fcf7c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ This project is currently in development! It will be announced when there is a (
 9. Open and close the Redux DevTools using `ctrl+h`, and move them with `ctrl+w`
 
 ###Testing SSL on your local machine
-Please refer to [this gist](https://gist.github.com/andrewn/953ffd5cb17ac2634dc969fc7bdaff3f). This allows you to access the editor using both HTTP and HTTPS. Don't worry about this unless you need to make changes or test HTTPS behavior. 
+Please refer to [this gist](https://gist.github.com/andrewn/953ffd5cb17ac2634dc969fc7bdaff3f). This allows you to access the editor using both HTTP and HTTPS. Don't worry about this unless you need to make changes or test HTTPS behavior.
+
+The automatic redirection to HTTPS is turned off by default in development. If you need to test this behavior, put `FORCE_TO_HTTPS=true` in your `.env` file.
 
 ##Production Installation
 1. Clone this repostory and `cd` into it
diff --git a/client/components/forceProtocol.jsx b/client/components/forceProtocol.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5a583bc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/components/forceProtocol.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import React, { PropTypes } from 'react';
+
+/**
+ * A Higher Order Component that forces the protocol to change on mount
+ *
+ * targetProtocol: the protocol to redirect to on mount
+ * sourceProtocol: the protocol to redirect back to on unmount
+ * disable: if true, the redirection will not happen but what should
+ *          have happened will be logged to the console
+ */
+const forceProtocol = ({ targetProtocol = 'https:', sourceProtocol, disable = false }) => WrappedComponent => (
+  class ForceProtocol extends React.Component {
+    static propTypes = {}
+
+    componentDidMount() {
+      this.redirectToProtocol(targetProtocol);
+    }
+
+    componentWillUnmount() {
+      if (sourceProtocol != null) {
+        this.redirectToProtocol(sourceProtocol);
+      }
+    }
+
+    redirectToProtocol(protocol) {
+      const currentProtocol = window.location.protocol;
+
+      if (protocol !== currentProtocol) {
+        if (disable === true) {
+          console.info(`forceProtocol: would have redirected from "${currentProtocol}" to "${protocol}"`);
+        } else {
+          window.location = window.location.href.replace(currentProtocol, protocol);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    render() {
+      return <WrappedComponent {...this.props} />;
+    }
+  }
+);
+
+
+export default forceProtocol;
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/project.js b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/project.js
index d4ae3383..d633dd48 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/project.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/project.js
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ const initialState = () => {
   const generatedString = generate({ words: 2 }).spaced;
   const generatedName = generatedString.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + generatedString.slice(1);
   return {
-    name: generatedName
+    name: generatedName,
+    serveSecure: false,
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/client/routes.jsx b/client/routes.jsx
index 3ceaa713..33b3cf38 100644
--- a/client/routes.jsx
+++ b/client/routes.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Route, IndexRoute } from 'react-router';
 import React from 'react';
+import forceProtocol from './components/forceProtocol';
 import App from './modules/App/App';
 import IDEView from './modules/IDE/pages/IDEView';
 import FullView from './modules/IDE/pages/FullView';
@@ -15,22 +16,38 @@ const checkAuth = (store) => {
   store.dispatch(getUser());
 };
 
-const routes = store =>
-  (
+const routes = (store) => {
+  const sourceProtocol = store.getState().project.serveSecure === true ?
+    'https:' :
+    'http:';
+
+  // If the flag is false, we stay on HTTP
+  const forceToHttps = forceProtocol({
+    targetProtocol: 'https:',
+    sourceProtocol,
+    // prints debugging but does not reload page
+    disable: process.env.FORCE_TO_HTTPS === false,
+  });
+
+  return (
     <Route path="/" component={App}>
       <IndexRoute component={IDEView} onEnter={checkAuth(store)} />
-      <Route path="/login" component={LoginView} />
-      <Route path="/signup" component={SignupView} />
-      <Route path="/reset-password" component={ResetPasswordView} />
-      <Route path="/reset-password/:reset_password_token" component={NewPasswordView} />
+      <Route path="/login" component={forceToHttps(LoginView)} />
+      <Route path="/signup" component={forceToHttps(SignupView)} />
+      <Route path="/reset-password" component={forceToHttps(ResetPasswordView)} />
+      <Route
+        path="/reset-password/:reset_password_token"
+        component={forceToHttps(NewPasswordView)}
+      />
       <Route path="/projects/:project_id" component={IDEView} />
       <Route path="/full/:project_id" component={FullView} />
       <Route path="/sketches" component={IDEView} />
       <Route path="/:username/sketches/:project_id" component={IDEView} />
       <Route path="/:username/sketches" component={IDEView} />
-      <Route path="/:username/account" component={AccountView} />
+      <Route path="/:username/account" component={forceToHttps(AccountView)} />
       <Route path="/about" component={IDEView} />
     </Route>
   );
+};
 
 export default routes;
diff --git a/server/routes/server.routes.js b/server/routes/server.routes.js
index 000eb7bc..1b69dbda 100644
--- a/server/routes/server.routes.js
+++ b/server/routes/server.routes.js
@@ -54,4 +54,10 @@ router.route('/:username/sketches').get((req, res) => {
   ));
 });
 
+router.route('/:username/account').get((req, res) => {
+  userExists(req.params.username, exists => (
+    exists ? res.send(renderIndex()) : get404Sketch(html => res.send(html))
+  ));
+});
+
 export default router;
diff --git a/webpack.config.dev.js b/webpack.config.dev.js
index 79db4136..6356c2e2 100644
--- a/webpack.config.dev.js
+++ b/webpack.config.dev.js
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ module.exports = {
       'process.env': {
         API_URL: '"' + process.env.API_URL + '"',
         CLIENT: JSON.stringify(true),
+        FORCE_TO_HTTPS: process.env.FORCE_TO_HTTPS === 'true' ?
+          JSON.stringify(true) :
+          JSON.stringify(false),
         'NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify('development'),
         'S3_BUCKET': '"' + process.env.S3_BUCKET + '"'
       }