diff --git a/src/js/mixins/api_access.js b/src/js/mixins/api_access.js
index a7d72d7ed..70856779d 100644
--- a/src/js/mixins/api_access.js
+++ b/src/js/mixins/api_access.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ define([
           this.getBeeHive().getService('Api').setVals({
             access_token : data.token_type + ':' + data.access_token,
             refresh_token : data.refresh_token,
-            expires_in : data.expires_in
+            expire_in : data.expire_in
         });
 
          console.warn('Redefining access_token: ' + data.access_token);
diff --git a/src/js/services/api.js b/src/js/services/api.js
index 0c7153d97..b1517bdce 100644
--- a/src/js/services/api.js
+++ b/src/js/services/api.js
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ define([
     'js/components/api_response',
     'js/components/api_query',
     'js/components/api_feedback',
-    'js/mixins/hardened'
+    'js/mixins/hardened',
+    'js/mixins/api_access',
+    'moment'
   ],
   function(
     _,
@@ -20,7 +22,9 @@ define([
     ApiResponse,
     ApiQuery,
     ApiFeedback,
-    Hardened
+    Hardened,
+    ApiAccess,
+    Moment
     ) {
 
     var Api = GenericModule.extend({
@@ -30,10 +34,9 @@ define([
 
       access_token: null,
       refresh_token: null,
-      expires_in: null,
+      expire_in: null,
       defaultTimeoutInMs: 60000,
 
-
       activate: function(beehive) {
         this.setBeeHive(beehive);
       },
@@ -99,10 +102,10 @@ define([
       }
     });
 
-    Api.prototype.request = function(request, options) {
+    Api.prototype._request = function(request, options){
 
       options = _.extend({}, options, request.get('options'));
-      
+
       var data,
           self = this,
           query = request.get('query');
@@ -171,12 +174,44 @@ define([
       jqXhr = jqXhr.promise(jqXhr);
 
       return jqXhr;
+
+    };
+
+    //stubbable for testing
+    Api.prototype.getCurrentUTCMoment = function(){
+      return Moment().utc();
+    };
+
+    Api.prototype.request = function(request, options) {
+
+      var that = this;
+
+      if (!this.expire_in) return that._request(request, options);
+
+      //expire_in is in UTC, not local time
+      var expiration = Moment.utc(this.expire_in);
+      var now = this.getCurrentUTCMoment();
+
+      var difference = now.diff(expiration, 'minutes');
+      //fewer than 2 minutes before token expires
+      if (difference > -2 ){
+        var d = $.Deferred();
+        this.getApiAccess().done(function(){
+          d.resolve(that._request(request, options));
+        });
+        return d.promise();
+      }
+      else {
+        return that._request(request, options);
+      }
+
     };
 
     _.extend(Api.prototype, Mixin.BeeHive);
     _.extend(Api.prototype, Hardened);
+    _.extend(Api.prototype, ApiAccess);
+
 
 
     return Api
   });
-
diff --git a/test/mocha/js/services/api.spec.js b/test/mocha/js/services/api.spec.js
index 38f6f7764..0d9c02425 100644
--- a/test/mocha/js/services/api.spec.js
+++ b/test/mocha/js/services/api.spec.js
@@ -8,14 +8,16 @@ define([
   'js/services/api',
   'js/components/api_request',
   'js/components/api_query',
-  'js/components/api_response'
+  'js/components/api_response',
+  'moment'
 ], function(
   $,
   _,
   Api,
   ApiRequest,
   ApiQuery,
-  ApiResponse
+  ApiResponse,
+  Moment
   ) {
 
   describe("Api Service (api.spec.js)", function() {
@@ -181,6 +183,51 @@ define([
       expect(spy.thisValues[0]).to.have.ownProperty('api', 'request');
     });
 
+    it("should automatically request a new token if there is less than 2 minutes before token expiration", function(){
+
+      var api = new Api({url: '/api/1'}); // url is there, but i want to be explicit
+
+      api.access_token = 'foo';
+      api.expire_in = "2016-08-16T18:12:00"
+
+      api.getCurrentUTCMoment = function(){
+        //mock a EDT time
+        return  Moment.parseZone("2016-08-16T14:11:00-04:00").utc();
+      }
+
+      api._request = sinon.spy();
+
+      api.getApiAccess = sinon.spy(function(){
+        var d = $.Deferred();
+        d.resolve();
+        api.access_token = 'boo'
+        return d.promise();
+      });
+
+      var q = new ApiQuery({q: 'foo'});
+
+    api.request(new ApiRequest({target: '/test', query: q, sender: 'woo'}));
+
+      expect(api.getApiAccess.callCount).to.eql(1);
+      expect(api.access_token).to.eql('boo');
+      expect(api._request.callCount).to.eql(1);
+
+    //this request should not lead to an access_token refresh bc
+    //expiration is 3 minutes in the future
+
+    api.expire_in = "2016-08-16T18:13:05.982Z";
+
+    api.getCurrentUTCMoment = function(){
+      return Moment("2016-08-16T18:11:05.982Z").utc();
+    }
+
+      api.request(new ApiRequest({target: '/test', query: q, sender: 'woo'}));
+
+       expect(api.getApiAccess.callCount).to.eql(1);
+       expect(api._request.callCount).to.eql(2);
+
+    });
+
     describe("Testing request options", function() {
 
       var ajaxSpy;
@@ -199,7 +246,7 @@ define([
         expect(ajaxSpy.lastCall.args[0].cache).to.eql(true);
         expect(ajaxSpy.lastCall.args[0].contentType).to.eql('application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
         expect(ajaxSpy.lastCall.args[0].xhrFields).to.eql(undefined);
-        
+
         api.modifyRequestOptions = function(opts) {
           opts.xhrFields = {
             withCredentials: true