diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/SwitchUserTest.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/SwitchUserTest.php
index d89c24f1233fb..97b0a559193c4 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/SwitchUserTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/SwitchUserTest.php
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public function testSwitchedUserExit()
     public function testSwitchUserStateless()
     {
         $client = $this->createClient(array('test_case' => 'JsonLogin', 'root_config' => 'switchuser_stateless.yml'));
-        $client->request('POST', '/chk', array('_switch_user' => 'dunglas'), array(), array('CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json'), '{"user": {"login": "user_can_switch", "password": "test"}}');
+        $client->request('POST', '/chk', array(), array(), array('HTTP_X_SWITCH_USER' => 'dunglas', 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json'), '{"user": {"login": "user_can_switch", "password": "test"}}');
         $response = $client->getResponse();
 
         $this->assertInstanceOf(JsonResponse::class, $response);
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/app/JsonLogin/switchuser_stateless.yml b/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/app/JsonLogin/switchuser_stateless.yml
index 29789a4caa25f..b8c832032c6f0 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/app/JsonLogin/switchuser_stateless.yml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Tests/Functional/app/JsonLogin/switchuser_stateless.yml
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@ security:
     firewalls:
         main:
             switch_user:
+                parameter: X-Switch-User
                 stateless: true
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/SwitchUserListener.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/SwitchUserListener.php
index d659ffc258db4..426727a738365 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/SwitchUserListener.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/SwitchUserListener.php
@@ -79,16 +79,17 @@ public function __construct(TokenStorageInterface $tokenStorage, UserProviderInt
     public function handle(GetResponseEvent $event)
     {
         $request = $event->getRequest();
+        $username = $request->get($this->usernameParameter) ?: $request->headers->get($this->usernameParameter);
 
-        if (!$request->get($this->usernameParameter)) {
+        if (!$username) {
             return;
         }
 
-        if (self::EXIT_VALUE === $request->get($this->usernameParameter)) {
+        if (self::EXIT_VALUE === $username) {
             $this->tokenStorage->setToken($this->attemptExitUser($request));
         } else {
             try {
-                $this->tokenStorage->setToken($this->attemptSwitchUser($request));
+                $this->tokenStorage->setToken($this->attemptSwitchUser($request, $username));
             } catch (AuthenticationException $e) {
                 throw new \LogicException(sprintf('Switch User failed: "%s"', $e->getMessage()));
             }
@@ -106,20 +107,21 @@ public function handle(GetResponseEvent $event)
     /**
      * Attempts to switch to another user.
      *
-     * @param Request $request A Request instance
+     * @param Request $request  A Request instance
+     * @param string  $username
      *
      * @return TokenInterface|null The new TokenInterface if successfully switched, null otherwise
      *
      * @throws \LogicException
      * @throws AccessDeniedException
      */
-    private function attemptSwitchUser(Request $request)
+    private function attemptSwitchUser(Request $request, $username)
     {
         $token = $this->tokenStorage->getToken();
         $originalToken = $this->getOriginalToken($token);
 
         if (false !== $originalToken) {
-            if ($token->getUsername() === $request->get($this->usernameParameter)) {
+            if ($token->getUsername() === $username) {
                 return $token;
             }
 
@@ -133,8 +135,6 @@ private function attemptSwitchUser(Request $request)
             throw $exception;
         }
 
-        $username = $request->get($this->usernameParameter);
-
         if (null !== $this->logger) {
             $this->logger->info('Attempting to switch to user.', array('username' => $username));
         }