diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d493287452..b6451f82b7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@ For a good example, see https://riot.im/develop/config.json
    release to release.
 1. `brand`: String to pass to your homeserver when configuring email notifications, to let the
    homeserver know what email template to use when talking to you.
+1. `branding`: Configures various branding and logo details, such as:
+    1. `welcomeBackgroundUrl`: An image to use as a wallpaper outside the app
+       during authentication flows
+    1. `authHeaderLogoUrl`: An logo image that is shown in the header during
+       authentication flows
 1. `integrations_ui_url`: URL to the web interface for the integrations server. The integrations
    server is not Riot and normally not your homeserver either. The integration server settings
    may be left blank to disable integrations.
diff --git a/karma.conf.js b/karma.conf.js
index d982aa2421..ae666a455b 100644
--- a/karma.conf.js
+++ b/karma.conf.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
                 watched: false, included: false, served: true, nocache: false,
             },
             {
-                pattern: 'res/themes/**',
+                pattern: 'res/**',
                 watched: false, included: false, served: true, nocache: false,
             },
         ],
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
             // redirect img links to the karma server. See above.
             "/img/": "/base/node_modules/matrix-react-sdk/res/img/",
             "/themes/": "/base/res/themes/",
+            "/welcome.html": "/base/res/welcome.html",
+            "/welcome/": "/base/res/welcome/",
         },
 
         // preprocess matching files before serving them to the browser
diff --git a/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthHeaderLogo.js b/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthHeaderLogo.js
index 7a40f44559..0161fc3ffb 100644
--- a/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthHeaderLogo.js
+++ b/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthHeaderLogo.js
@@ -19,23 +19,26 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import SdkConfig from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/SdkConfig';
 
-const LOGO_URI = "themes/riot/img/logos/riot-im-logo-black-text.svg";
+export default class VectorAuthHeaderLogo extends React.PureComponent {
+    static replaces = 'AuthHeaderLogo'
 
-module.exports = React.createClass({
-    displayName: 'VectorAuthHeaderLogo',
-    statics: {
-        replaces: 'AuthHeaderLogo',
-    },
-    propTypes: {
+    static propTypes = {
         icon: PropTypes.string,
-    },
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        const brandingConfig = SdkConfig.get().branding;
+        let logoUrl = "themes/riot/img/logos/riot-im-logo-black-text.svg";
+        if (brandingConfig && brandingConfig.authHeaderLogoUrl) {
+            logoUrl = brandingConfig.authHeaderLogoUrl;
+        }
 
-    render: function() {
         return (
             <div className="mx_AuthHeaderLogo">
-                <img src={LOGO_URI} alt="Riot" />
+                <img src={logoUrl} alt="Riot" />
             </div>
         );
-    },
-});
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthPage.js b/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthPage.js
index e277cb18c8..bae685b951 100644
--- a/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthPage.js
+++ b/src/components/views/auth/VectorAuthPage.js
@@ -16,21 +16,24 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 'use strict';
 
-const React = require('react');
+import React from 'react';
 import sdk from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/index';
+import SdkConfig from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/SdkConfig';
 
-module.exports = React.createClass({
-    displayName: 'VectorAuthPage',
+export default class VectorAuthPage extends React.PureComponent {
+    static replaces = 'AuthPage'
 
-    statics: {
-        replaces: 'AuthPage',
-    },
-
-    render: function() {
+    render() {
         const AuthFooter = sdk.getComponent('auth.AuthFooter');
 
+        const brandingConfig = SdkConfig.get().branding;
+        let backgroundUrl = "themes/riot/img/backgrounds/valley.jpg";
+        if (brandingConfig && brandingConfig.welcomeBackgroundUrl) {
+            backgroundUrl = brandingConfig.welcomeBackgroundUrl;
+        }
+
         const pageStyle = {
-            background: 'center/cover fixed url(themes/riot/img/backgrounds/valley.jpg)',
+            background: `center/cover fixed url(${backgroundUrl})`,
         };
 
         const modalStyle = {
@@ -66,5 +69,5 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 <AuthFooter />
             </div>
         );
-    },
-});
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/app-tests/loading.js b/test/app-tests/loading.js
index b165e5d3c2..aa7fe58fa2 100644
--- a/test/app-tests/loading.js
+++ b/test/app-tests/loading.js
@@ -222,8 +222,7 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
             }).done(done, done);
         });
 
-        // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-        /* it('should follow the original link after successful login', function(done) {
+        it('should follow the original link after successful login', function(done) {
             loadApp({
                 uriFragment: "#/room/!room:id",
             });
@@ -258,10 +257,9 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                 expect(localStorage.getItem('mx_hs_url')).toEqual(DEFAULT_HS_URL);
                 expect(localStorage.getItem('mx_is_url')).toEqual(DEFAULT_IS_URL);
             }).done(done, done);
-        }); */
+        });
 
-        // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-        /* it('should not register as a guest when using a #/login link', function() {
+        it('should not register as a guest when using a #/login link', function() {
             loadApp({
                 uriFragment: "#/login",
             });
@@ -288,7 +286,7 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                     matrixChat, sdk.getComponent('structures.EmbeddedPage'));
                 expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/home");
             });
-        }); */
+        });
     });
 
     describe("MatrixClient rehydrated from stored credentials:", function() {
@@ -300,8 +298,7 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
             localStorage.setItem("mx_last_room_id", "!last_room:id");
         });
 
-        // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-        /* it('shows the last known room by default', function() {
+        it('shows the last known room by default', function() {
             httpBackend.when('GET', '/pushrules').respond(200, {});
             httpBackend.when('POST', '/filter').respond(200, { filter_id: 'fid' });
 
@@ -357,7 +354,7 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                 httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation();
                 expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/room/!room:id");
             }).done(done, done);
-        }); */
+        });
 
         describe('/#/login link:', function() {
             beforeEach(function() {
@@ -387,8 +384,7 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                 }
             });
 
-            // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-            /* it('shows the homepage after login', function() {
+            it('shows the homepage after login', function() {
                 return completeLogin(matrixChat).then(() => {
                     // we should see a home page, even though we previously had
                     // a stored mx_last_room_id
@@ -396,13 +392,12 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                         matrixChat, sdk.getComponent('structures.EmbeddedPage'));
                     expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/home");
                 });
-            }); */
+            });
         });
     });
 
     describe('Guest auto-registration:', function() {
-        // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-        /* it('shows a welcome page by default', function(done) {
+        it('shows a welcome page by default', function(done) {
             loadApp();
 
             Promise.delay(1).then(() => {
@@ -430,10 +425,9 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                     matrixChat, sdk.getComponent('auth.Welcome'));
                 expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/welcome");
             }).done(done, done);
-        }); */
+        });
 
-        // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-        /* it('uses the default homeserver to register with', function(done) {
+        it('uses the default homeserver to register with', function(done) {
             loadApp();
 
             Promise.delay(1).then(() => {
@@ -457,15 +451,15 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
             }).then((req) => {
                 expect(req.path).toStartWith(DEFAULT_HS_URL);
 
-                // once the sync completes, we should have a home page
+                // once the sync completes, we should have a welcome page
                 httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation();
                 ReactTestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(
-                    matrixChat, sdk.getComponent('structures.EmbeddedPage'));
-                expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/home");
+                    matrixChat, sdk.getComponent('auth.Welcome'));
+                expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/welcome");
                 expect(MatrixClientPeg.get().baseUrl).toEqual(DEFAULT_HS_URL);
                 expect(MatrixClientPeg.get().idBaseUrl).toEqual(DEFAULT_IS_URL);
             }).done(done, done);
-        }); */
+        });
 
         it('shows a room view if we followed a room link', function(done) {
             loadApp({
@@ -534,15 +528,14 @@ describe('loading:', function() {
                 });
             });
 
-            // TODO: Repair this test in https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/8468
-            /* it('should give us a login page', function() {
+            it('should give us a login page', function() {
                 expect(windowLocation.hash).toEqual("#/login");
 
                 // we expect a single <Login> component
                 ReactTestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(
                     matrixChat, sdk.getComponent('structures.auth.Login'),
                 );
-            }); */
+            });
 
             /*
             // ILAG renders this obsolete. I think.
@@ -684,8 +677,6 @@ function awaitSyncingSpinner(matrixChat, retryLimit, retryCount) {
 
     console.log(Date.now() + " Awaiting sync spinner: load complete.");
 
-    // state looks good, check the rendered output
-    assertAtSyncingSpinner(matrixChat);
     return Promise.resolve();
 }