diff --git a/login/change_password.php b/login/change_password.php
index 08896e4b0d6..e7f78e6a586 100644
--- a/login/change_password.php
+++ b/login/change_password.php
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@
         error($message);
     }
 
-    // require proper login; guest can not change passwords anymore!
+    // require proper login; guest can not change password
     // TODO: add change password capability so that we can prevent participants to change password
-    if (empty($USER->id) or $USER->username=='guest' or has_capability('moodle/legacy:guest', $sitecontext, $USER->id, false)) {
+    if (empty($USER->id) or isguestuser() or has_capability('moodle/legacy:guest', $sitecontext, $USER->id, false)) {
         if (empty($SESSION->wantsurl)) {
             $SESSION->wantsurl = $CFG->httpswwwroot.'/login/change_password.php';
         }
@@ -36,6 +36,18 @@
         error('Can not use this script when "Logged in as"!');
     }
 
+    // load the appropriate auth plugin
+    $userauth = get_auth_plugin($USER->auth);
+
+    if (!$userauth->can_change_password()) {
+        error(get_string('nopasswordchange', 'auth'));
+    }
+
+    if (method_exists($userauth, 'change_password_url') and $userauth->change_password_url()) {
+        // this internal scrip not used
+        redirect($userauth->change_password_url());
+    }
+
     $mform = new login_change_password_form();
     $mform->set_data(array('id'=>$course->id, 'username'=>$USER->username));
 
@@ -54,23 +66,6 @@
             $user = get_complete_user_data('username', $data->username);
         }
 
-        // load the appropriate auth plugin
-        $userauth = get_auth_plugin($user->auth);
-        if ($userauth->can_change_password()){
-            if ($userauth->user_update_password($user, $data->newpassword1)) {
-            } else {
-                error('Could not set the new password');
-            }
-        } else { // external users
-            $message = 'You cannot change your password this way.';
-            if (method_exists($userauth, 'change_password_url') and $userauth->change_password_url()) {
-                $message .= '<br /><br />' . get_string('passwordextlink')
-                    .  '<br /><br />' . '<a href="' . $userauth->change_password_url() . '">'
-                    .  $userauth->change_password_url() . '</a>';            error('You cannot change your password this way.');
-            }
-            error($message);
-        }
-
         // register success changing password
         unset_user_preference('auth_forcepasswordchange', $user->id);
 
diff --git a/login/forgot_password.php b/login/forgot_password.php
index 520b4137812..d0d5309fc9c 100644
--- a/login/forgot_password.php
+++ b/login/forgot_password.php
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ $strinvalidurl         = get_string('forgotteninvalidurl');
 $strlogin              = get_string('login');
 $strloginalready       = get_string('loginalready');
 $strok                 = get_string('ok');
-$strpasswordextlink    = get_string('passwordextlink');
 $strpasswordnohelp     = get_string('passwordnohelp');
 $strsecretalreadyused  = get_string('secretalreadyused');
 $strsenddetails        = get_string('senddetails');
@@ -99,14 +98,16 @@ if ($action == 'find' and $param = $mform->get_data()) {
 
     // if user located (and no errors) take the appropriate action
     if (empty($errors) and !empty($user)) {
+
+         $userauth = get_auth_plugin($user->auth);
+
         // check this user isn't 'unconfirmed'
         if (empty($user->confirmed)) {
             $errors[] = $strconfirmednot;
+
         } else {
-            // what to do depends on the authentication method
-            $userauth = get_auth_plugin($user->auth);
-            if ($userauth->is_internal() or $userauth->can_change_password()) {
-                // handle internal authentication
+            if (method_exists($userauth, 'can_reset_password') and $userauth->can_reset_password()) {
+                // reset internal password and notify user
 
                 // set 'secret' string
                 $user->secret = random_string(15);
@@ -122,37 +123,28 @@ if ($action == 'find' and $param = $mform->get_data()) {
 
                 // display confirm message
                 $page = 'emailconfirm';
+
             } else {
-                // handle some 'external' authentication
-                // if help text defined then we are going to display another page
-                $strextmessage = '';
-                $continue = false;
-                if (!empty($userauth->config->changepasswordhelp)) {
-                    $txt->extmessage = $userauth->config->changepasswordhelp .'<br /><br />';
+                // send email (make sure mail block is off)
+                $user->mailstop = 0;
+                if (!send_password_change_info($user)) {
+                    error('error sending password change confirmation email');
                 }
-                // if url defined then add that to the message (with a standard message)
-                if (method_exists($userauth, 'change_password_url') and $userauth->change_password_url()) {
-                    $strextmessage .= $strpasswordextlink . '<br /><br />';
-                    $strextmessage .= '<a href="' . $userauth->change_password_url() . '">' . $userauth->change_password_url() . '</a>';
-                }
-                // if nothing to display, just do message that we can't help
-                if (empty($strextmessage)) {
-                    $strextmessage = $strpasswordextlink;
-                    $continue = true;
-                }
-                $page = 'external';
+
+                // display confirm message
+                $page = 'emailconfirm';
             }
         }
     }
 
-    if ($page != 'external' and !empty($CFG->protectusernames)) {
+    if (!empty($CFG->protectusernames)) {
         // do not give any hints about usernames or email!
         $errors = array();
         $page = 'emailmaybeconfirmed';
     }
 
-    // nothing supplied - show error in any case
     if (empty($param->username) and empty($param->email)) {
+        // nothing supplied - show error in any case
         $errors[] = 'no email or username';
         $page = '';
     }
@@ -169,13 +161,14 @@ if ($action == 'find' and $param = $mform->get_data()) {
 
     if (!empty($user) and $user->secret === '') {
         $errors[] = $strsecretalreadyused;
+
     } else if (!empty($user) and $user->secret == stripslashes($p_secret)) {
         // make sure that url relates to a valid user
 
         // check this isn't guest user
         // TODO: add change password capability so that we can prevent participants to change password
-        if ($user->username == 'guest' or has_capability('moodle/legacy:guest', $sitecontext, $user->id, false)) {
-            error('You cannot change the guest password');
+        if (isguestuser($user) or has_capability('moodle/legacy:guest', $sitecontext, $user->id, false)) {
+            error('You cannot reset the guest password');
         }
 
         // override email stop and mail new password
@@ -227,15 +220,6 @@ if ($page == 'emailconfirm') {
     $stremailpasswordconfirmsent = get_string('emailpasswordconfirmsent', '', $protectedemail);
     notice($stremailpasswordconfirmsent, $CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php');
 
-} else if ($page == 'external') {
-    // display change password help text
-    print_simple_box($strextmessage, 'center', '50%', '', '20', 'noticebox');
-
-    // only print continue button if it makes sense
-    if ($continue) {
-        print_continue($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php');
-    }
-
 } else if ($page == 'emailsent') {
     // mail sent with new password
     notice($stremailpasswordsent, $changepasswordurl);
@@ -245,11 +229,9 @@ if ($page == 'emailconfirm') {
     notice($strforgottenduplicate, $CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php');
 
 } else {
-    echo '<br />';
-    print_simple_box_start('center', '50%', '', '20');
-
     // display any errors
     if (!empty($errors)) {
+        print_box_start('generalbox boxwidthnormal boxaligncenter');
         $s = $strerror;
         $s .= '<ul class="errors">';
         foreach ($errors as $error) {
@@ -257,15 +239,16 @@ if ($page == 'emailconfirm') {
         }
         $s .= '</ul>';
         notify($s, 'notifyproblem');
+        print_box_end();
     }
-
 }
 
-if(!$mform->get_data()) {
+if(!$mform->get_data() or !empty($errors)) {
+    print_box_start('generalbox boxwidthnormal boxaligncenter');
     echo $strforgotteninstruct;
+    print_box_end();
     $mform->display();
 }
-print_simple_box_end();
 
 print_footer();
 
diff --git a/login/index.php b/login/index.php
index 52bb75a03ef..68953a2da5d 100644
--- a/login/index.php
+++ b/login/index.php
@@ -162,9 +162,13 @@ if (!isset($CFG->auth_instructions)) {
             //Select password change url
             $userauth = get_auth_plugin($USER->auth);
             if ($userauth->can_change_password()) {
-                $passwordchangeurl=$CFG->wwwroot.'/login/change_password.php';
+                if (method_exists($userauth, 'change_password_url') and $userauth->change_password_url()) {
+                    $passwordchangeurl = $userauth->change_password_url();
+                } else {
+                    $passwordchangeurl = $CFG->httpswwwroot.'/login/change_password.php';
+                }
             } else {
-                $passwordchangeurl = $userauth->change_password_url();
+                $passwordchangeurl = '';
             }
 
             // check whether the user should be changing password
@@ -172,9 +176,7 @@ if (!isset($CFG->auth_instructions)) {
                 if ($passwordchangeurl != '') {
                     redirect($passwordchangeurl);
                 } else {
-                    error("You cannot proceed without changing your password. 
-                           However there is no available page for changing it.
-                           Please contact your Moodle Administrator.");
+                    error(get_strin('nopasswordchangeforced', 'auth'));
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/user/view.php b/user/view.php
index 42976165c36..3994ad07eb9 100644
--- a/user/view.php
+++ b/user/view.php
@@ -343,39 +343,36 @@
 
     echo "</td></tr></table>";
 
-    $internalpassword = false;
     $userauth = get_auth_plugin($user->auth);
-    if (method_exists($userauth, 'can_change_password') and $userauth->can_change_password()) {
-        if (empty($CFG->loginhttps)) {
-            $internalpassword = "$CFG->wwwroot/login/change_password.php";
+
+    $passwordchangeurl = false;
+    if ($userauth->can_change_password()) {
+        if (method_exists($userauth, 'change_password_url') and $userauth->change_password_url()) {
+            $passwordchangeurl = $userauth->change_password_url();
         } else {
-            $internalpassword = str_replace('http:','https:',$CFG->wwwroot.'/login/change_password.php');
+            if (empty($CFG->loginhttps)) {
+                $passwordchangeurl = "$CFG->wwwroot/login/change_password.php";
+            } else {
+                $passwordchangeurl = str_replace('http:', 'https:', $CFG->wwwroot.'/login/change_password.php');
+            }
         }
     }
 
 //  Print other functions
     echo '<div class="buttons">';
 
-    if ($currentuser and !isguest()) {
-        if ($internalpassword ) {
-            echo "<form action=\"$internalpassword\" method=\"get\">";
-            echo "<fieldset class='invisiblefieldset'>";
-            echo "<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"id\" value=\"$course->id\" />";
-            if (!empty($USER->realuser)) {
-                // changing of password when "Logged in as" is not allowed
-                echo "<input type=\"submit\" value=\"".get_string("changepassword")."\" disabled=\"disabled\" />";
-            } else {
-                echo "<input type=\"submit\" value=\"".get_string("changepassword")."\" />";
-            }
-            echo "</fieldset>";
-            echo "</form>";
-        } elseif ( method_exists($userauth, 'change_password_url') and strlen($userauth->change_password_url())) {
-            echo "<form action=\"".$userauth->change_password_url()."\" method=\"get\">";
-            echo "<fieldset class='invisiblefieldset'>";
+    if ($currentuser and $passwordchangeurl and !isguest()) { //TODO: add proper capability for password changing
+        echo "<form action=\"$passwordchangeurl\" method=\"get\">";
+        echo "<fieldset class='invisiblefieldset'>";
+        echo "<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"id\" value=\"$course->id\" />";
+        if (!empty($USER->realuser)) {
+            // changing of password when "Logged in as" is not allowed
+            echo "<input type=\"submit\" value=\"".get_string("changepassword")."\" disabled=\"disabled\" />";
+        } else {
             echo "<input type=\"submit\" value=\"".get_string("changepassword")."\" />";
-            echo "</fieldset>";
-            echo "</form>";
         }
+        echo "</fieldset>";
+        echo "</form>";
     }
 
     if ($course->id != SITEID && empty($course->metacourse)) {   // Mostly only useful at course level