--- loncom/auth/publiccheck.pm	2006/08/04 21:31:53	1.10
+++ loncom/auth/publiccheck.pm	2006/11/23 01:49:41	1.11
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # Cookie Based Access Handler
 #
-# $Id: publiccheck.pm,v 1.10 2006/08/04 21:31:53 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: publiccheck.pm,v 1.11 2006/11/23 01:49:41 albertel Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ sub handler {
     my %cookies=CGI::Cookie->parse($r->header_in('Cookie'));
     my $lonid=$cookies{'lonID'};
     if ($lonid) {
-	my $handle=$lonid->value;
-        $handle=~s/\W//g;
+	my $handle=&LONCAPA::clean_handle($lonid->value);
         my $lonidsdir=$r->dir_config('lonIDsDir');
         if ((-e "$lonidsdir/$handle.id") && ($handle ne '')) {
 	    &Apache::lonnet::transfer_profile_to_env($lonidsdir,$handle);