diff --git a/addon/mixins/data-adapter-mixin.js b/addon/mixins/data-adapter-mixin.js
index 73fe4ea5f..d26edd013 100644
--- a/addon/mixins/data-adapter-mixin.js
+++ b/addon/mixins/data-adapter-mixin.js
@@ -94,7 +94,9 @@ export default Ember.Mixin.create({
   */
   handleResponse(status) {
     if (status === 401) {
-      this.get('session').invalidate();
+      if (this.get('session.isAuthenticated')) {
+        this.get('session').invalidate();
+      }
       return true;
     } else {
       return this._super(...arguments);
diff --git a/tests/unit/mixins/data-adapter-mixin-test.js b/tests/unit/mixins/data-adapter-mixin-test.js
index 5037f2750..fe04a5236 100644
--- a/tests/unit/mixins/data-adapter-mixin-test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/mixins/data-adapter-mixin-test.js
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ describe('DataAdapterMixin', () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     hash = {};
-    sessionService = {
+    sessionService = Ember.Object.create({
       authorize() {},
       invalidate() {}
-    };
+    });
 
     const BaseAdapter = Ember.Object.extend({
       ajaxOptions() {
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ describe('DataAdapterMixin', () => {
       sinon.spy(sessionService, 'invalidate');
     });
 
-    describe('when the response status is 401', () => {
+    describe('when the response status is 401 and the session is authenticated', () => {
       it('invalidates the session', () => {
+        sessionService.set('isAuthenticated', true);
         adapter.handleResponse(401);
 
         expect(sessionService.invalidate).to.have.been.calledOnce;
@@ -117,6 +118,19 @@ describe('DataAdapterMixin', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    describe('when the response status is 401 and the session is not authenticated', () => {
+      it('invalidates the session', () => {
+        sessionService.set('isAuthenticated', false);
+        adapter.handleResponse(401);
+
+        expect(sessionService.invalidate).to.not.have.been.calledOnce;
+      });
+
+      it('returns true', () => {
+        expect(adapter.handleResponse(401)).to.be.true;
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('when the response status is not 401', () => {
       it('does not invalidate the session', () => {
         adapter.handleResponse(200);