diff --git a/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js b/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js
index 04f25862..6488549f 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/cartodb_windshaft.js
@@ -200,11 +200,6 @@ var CartodbWindshaft = function(serverOptions) {
         );
     });
 
-    // ---- Template maps interface starts @{
-
-    ws.userByReq = function(req) {
-        return serverOptions.userByReq(req);
-    };
 
     var TemplateMapsController = require('./controllers/template_maps'),
         templateMapsController = new TemplateMapsController(
diff --git a/lib/cartodb/controllers/template_maps.js b/lib/cartodb/controllers/template_maps.js
index 63d481da..391a6c78 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/controllers/template_maps.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/controllers/template_maps.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ TemplateMapsController.prototype.create = function(req, res) {
 
     this.app.doCORS(res);
 
-    var cdbuser = self.app.userByReq(req);
+    var cdbuser = self.serverOptions.userByReq(req);
 
     Step(
         function checkPerms(){
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ TemplateMapsController.prototype.update = function(req, res) {
 
     this.app.doCORS(res);
 
-    var cdbuser = this.app.userByReq(req);
+    var cdbuser = this.serverOptions.userByReq(req);
     var template;
     var tpl_id;
     Step(
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ TemplateMapsController.prototype.retrieve = function(req, res) {
 
     this.app.doCORS(res);
 
-    var cdbuser = this.app.userByReq(req);
+    var cdbuser = this.serverOptions.userByReq(req);
     var template;
     var tpl_id;
     Step(
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ TemplateMapsController.prototype.destroy = function(req, res) {
     }
     this.app.doCORS(res);
 
-    var cdbuser = this.app.userByReq(req);
+    var cdbuser = this.serverOptions.userByReq(req);
     var template;
     var tpl_id;
     Step(
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ TemplateMapsController.prototype.list = function(req, res) {
     }
     this.app.doCORS(res);
 
-    var cdbuser = this.app.userByReq(req);
+    var cdbuser = this.serverOptions.userByReq(req);
 
     Step(
         function checkPerms(){
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ TemplateMapsController.prototype.instantiateTemplate = function(req, res, templa
     var template;
     var layergroup;
     var fakereq; // used for call to createLayergroup
-    var cdbuser = self.app.userByReq(req);
+    var cdbuser = self.serverOptions.userByReq(req);
     // Format of template_id: [<template_owner>]@<template_id>
     var tpl_id = req.params.template_id.split('@');
     if ( tpl_id.length > 1 ) {