diff --git a/frontend/src/main.js b/frontend/src/main.js
index 3cbbc15fe..ad5c6e1db 100755
--- a/frontend/src/main.js
+++ b/frontend/src/main.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { loadAllRules } from './validation-rules'
 import { ApolloClient, ApolloLink, InMemoryCache, HttpLink } from 'apollo-boost'
 import VueApollo from 'vue-apollo'
 import CONFIG from './config'
+import addNavigationGuards from './routes/guards'
 
 import { store } from './store/store'
 
@@ -49,18 +50,7 @@ Vue.config.productionTip = false
 
 loadAllRules(i18n)
 
-router.beforeEach((to, from, next) => {
-  const publisherId = to.query.pid
-  if (publisherId) {
-    store.commit('publisherId', publisherId)
-    delete to.query.pid
-  }
-  if (to.meta.requiresAuth && !store.state.token) {
-    next({ path: '/login' })
-  } else {
-    next()
-  }
-})
+addNavigationGuards(router, store)
 
 /* eslint-disable no-new */
 new Vue({
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/guards.js b/frontend/src/routes/guards.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..91e341370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/guards.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+const addNavigationGuards = (router, store) => {
+  router.beforeEach((to, from, next) => {
+    const publisherId = to.query.pid
+    if (publisherId) {
+      store.commit('publisherId', publisherId)
+      delete to.query.pid
+    }
+    if (to.meta.requiresAuth && !store.state.token) {
+      next({ path: '/login' })
+    } else {
+      next()
+    }
+  })
+}
+
+export default addNavigationGuards
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/guards.test.js b/frontend/src/routes/guards.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a016ca111
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/guards.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import addNavigationGuards from './guards'
+import router from './router'
+
+const storeCommitMock = jest.fn()
+
+const store = {
+  commit: storeCommitMock,
+  state: {
+    token: null,
+  },
+}
+
+addNavigationGuards(router, store)
+
+describe('navigation guards', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  describe('publisher ID', () => {
+    it('commits the pid to the store when present', () => {
+      router.push({ path: 'login', query: { pid: 42 } })
+      expect(storeCommitMock).toBeCalledWith('publisherId', '42')
+    })
+
+    it('does not commit the pid when not present', () => {
+      router.push({ path: 'register' })
+      expect(storeCommitMock).not.toBeCalled()
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('authorization', () => {
+    it.skip('redirects to login when not authorized', async () => {
+      router.push({ path: 'overview' })
+      expect(router.history.current.path).toBe('/login')
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/router.js b/frontend/src/routes/router.js
index 189516242..f32c15fc1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/router.js
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/router.js
@@ -5,10 +5,9 @@ import CONFIG from '../config'
 
 Vue.use(VueRouter)
 
-// configure router
 const router = new VueRouter({
   base: '/vue',
-  routes, // short for routes: routes
+  routes,
   linkActiveClass: 'active',
   mode: 'history',
   scrollBehavior: (to, from, savedPosition) => {