diff --git a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ComponentContainer.java b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ComponentContainer.java
index 5b72787cb..27d89b6f5 100644
--- a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ComponentContainer.java
+++ b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/api/ComponentContainer.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import li.strolch.exception.StrolchException;
 import li.strolch.runtime.StrolchConstants;
 import li.strolch.runtime.privilege.PrivilegeHandler;
+import ch.eitchnet.privilege.model.Certificate;
 
 /**
  * @author Robert von Burg <eitch@eitchnet.ch>
@@ -46,11 +47,27 @@ public interface ComponentContainer {
 	 * 
 	 * @param realm
 	 *            the name of the {@link StrolchRealm} to return
+	 * 
 	 * @return the {@link StrolchRealm} with the given name
 	 * 
 	 * @throws StrolchException
 	 *             if the {@link StrolchRealm} does not exist with the given name
 	 */
-	public abstract StrolchRealm getRealm(String realm);
+	public abstract StrolchRealm getRealm(String realm) throws StrolchException;
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the default {@link StrolchRealm} for the user with the given {@link Certificate}. This is done by
+	 * querying the property {@link StrolchConstants#PROP_REALM} from the certificate.
+	 * 
+	 * @param certificate
+	 *            the {@link Certificate} from which to retrieve the name of the {@link StrolchRealm} to return
+	 * 
+	 * @return the {@link StrolchRealm}
+	 * 
+	 * @throws StrolchException
+	 *             if the user does not have a {@link StrolchConstants#PROP_REALM} property configured, or if the realm
+	 *             does not exist with the found value
+	 */
+	public abstract StrolchRealm getRealm(Certificate certificate) throws StrolchException;
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/ComponentContainerImpl.java b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/ComponentContainerImpl.java
index 9fb496679..206fbb4e8 100644
--- a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/ComponentContainerImpl.java
+++ b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/agent/impl/ComponentContainerImpl.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import li.strolch.agent.api.StrolchAgent;
 import li.strolch.agent.api.StrolchComponent;
 import li.strolch.agent.api.StrolchRealm;
 import li.strolch.exception.StrolchException;
+import li.strolch.runtime.StrolchConstants;
 import li.strolch.runtime.configuration.ComponentConfiguration;
 import li.strolch.runtime.configuration.RuntimeConfiguration;
 import li.strolch.runtime.configuration.StrolchConfiguration;
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ import li.strolch.runtime.privilege.PrivilegeHandler;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import ch.eitchnet.privilege.model.Certificate;
+import ch.eitchnet.utils.helper.StringHelper;
 import ch.eitchnet.utils.helper.SystemHelper;
 
 public class ComponentContainerImpl implements ComponentContainer {
@@ -106,6 +109,25 @@ public class ComponentContainerImpl implements ComponentContainer {
 		return getComponent(RealmHandler.class).getRealm(realm);
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public StrolchRealm getRealm(Certificate certificate) throws StrolchException {
+
+		String realmName = certificate.getProperty(StrolchConstants.PROP_REALM);
+		if (StringHelper.isEmpty(realmName)) {
+			String msg = "The User {0} is missing the property {1}";
+			throw new StrolchException(
+					MessageFormat.format(msg, certificate.getUsername(), StrolchConstants.PROP_REALM));
+		}
+
+		try {
+			return getComponent(RealmHandler.class).getRealm(realmName);
+		} catch (StrolchException e) {
+			String msg = "The User {0} has property {1} with value={2}, but the Realm does not eixst, or is not accessible by this user!";
+			throw new StrolchException(MessageFormat.format(msg, certificate.getUsername(),
+					StrolchConstants.PROP_REALM, realmName), e);
+		}
+	}
+
 	private void setupComponent(Map<Class<?>, StrolchComponent> componentMap,
 			Map<String, ComponentController> controllerMap, ComponentConfiguration componentConfiguration) {
 
diff --git a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java
index 2ed2a0842..3368f8b3b 100644
--- a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java
+++ b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/runtime/StrolchConstants.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public class StrolchConstants {
 	public static final String OBSERVER_HANDLER = ObserverHandler.class.getSimpleName();
 	public static final String PRIVILEGE_HANDLER = "PrivilegeHandler";
 
+	public static final String PROP_REALM = "realm";
 	public static final String DEFAULT_REALM = "defaultRealm";
 
 	public static final String DEFAULT_XML_VERSION = "1.0"; //$NON-NLS-1$