diff --git a/application/views/scripts/navigation/dashboard.phtml b/application/views/scripts/navigation/dashboard.phtml
index 4f1d5c290..d9b2c6441 100644
--- a/application/views/scripts/navigation/dashboard.phtml
+++ b/application/views/scripts/navigation/dashboard.phtml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 </div>
 <div class="content">
     <?php foreach ($navigation as $item): /** @var \Icinga\Web\Navigation\NavigationItem $item */?>
-    <a class="dashboard-link" href="<?= $this->url($item->getUrl(), $item->getUrlParameters()) ?>">
+    <a class="dashboard-link" href="<?= $this->url($item->getUrl(), $item->getUrlParameters()) ?>"<?= $this->propertiesToString($item->getAttributes()) ?>>
         <div class="link-icon">
             <?= $this->icon($item->getIcon() ?: 'forward', null, array('aria-hidden' => true)) ?>
         </div>
diff --git a/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/ExternalBackend.php b/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/ExternalBackend.php
index a6159818a..6e79928ae 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/ExternalBackend.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Authentication/User/ExternalBackend.php
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ class ExternalBackend implements UserBackendInterface
     public static function getRemoteUser($variable = 'REMOTE_USER')
     {
         $username = getenv($variable);
-        if ($username !== false) {
+        if (! empty($username)) {
             return $username;
         }
 
-        if (array_key_exists($variable, $_SERVER)) {
+        if (array_key_exists($variable, $_SERVER) && ! empty($_SERVER[$variable])) {
             return $_SERVER[$variable];
         }
     }