diff --git a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/Party.java b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/Party.java
index 2b84f2aa3..3feeecc8d 100644
--- a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/Party.java
+++ b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/Party.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class Party implements Serializable {
      */
     @Column(name = "NAME", length = 256, nullable = false)
     @NotNull
-    @Pattern(regexp = "[a-zA-Z0-9\\-_]*")
+//    @Pattern(regexp = "[a-zA-Z0-9\\-_\\.]*")
     private String name;
 
     /**
diff --git a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/User.java b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/User.java
index a678bce96..e51df1f30 100644
--- a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/User.java
+++ b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/User.java
@@ -74,14 +74,23 @@ import static org.libreccm.core.CoreConstants.DB_SCHEMA;
                             + "ORDER BY u.name, "
                             + "         u.familyName, "
                             + "         u.givenName, "
-                            + "         u.primaryEmailAddress.address"),
+                            + "         u.primaryEmailAddress.address")
+    ,
+    @NamedQuery(name = "User.countByName",
+                query = "SELECT COUNT(u) FROM User u WHERE u.name = :name")
+    ,
     @NamedQuery(name = "User.findByEmailAddress",
                 query = "SELECT u FROM User u WHERE "
                             + "u.primaryEmailAddress.address = :emailAddress "
                             + "ORDER BY u.name, "
                             + " u.familyName, "
                             + " u.givenName, "
-                            + " u.primaryEmailAddress.address"),
+                            + " u.primaryEmailAddress.address")
+    ,
+    @NamedQuery(name = "User.countByPrimaryEmailAddress",
+                query = "SELECT COUNT(u) FROM User u "
+                            + "WHERE u.primaryEmailAddress.address = :emailAddress")
+    ,
     @NamedQuery(
         name = "User.filterByNameAndEmail",
         query = "SELECT u FROM User u WHERE "
@@ -92,7 +101,8 @@ import static org.libreccm.core.CoreConstants.DB_SCHEMA;
                 + "ORDER BY u.name,"
                     + "u.familyName, "
                     + "u.givenName, "
-                    + "u.primaryEmailAddress.address"),
+                    + "u.primaryEmailAddress.address")
+    ,
     @NamedQuery(
         name = "User.findAllOrderedByUsername",
         query = "SELECT u FROM User u ORDER BY u.name, "
@@ -105,7 +115,8 @@ import static org.libreccm.core.CoreConstants.DB_SCHEMA;
         name = "User.withGroupAndRoleMemberships",
         attributeNodes = {
             @NamedAttributeNode(
-                value = "groupMemberships"),
+                value = "groupMemberships")
+            ,
             @NamedAttributeNode(
                 value = "roleMemberships",
                 subgraph = "role")},
@@ -115,7 +126,8 @@ import static org.libreccm.core.CoreConstants.DB_SCHEMA;
                 attributeNodes = {
                     @NamedAttributeNode(value = "role",
                                         subgraph = "permissions")
-                }),
+                })
+            ,
             @NamedSubgraph(
                 name = "permissions",
                 attributeNodes = {
diff --git a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserManager.java b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserManager.java
index f23e57c71..d4b5fd4fa 100644
--- a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserManager.java
+++ b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserManager.java
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class UserManager {
     @Transactional(Transactional.TxType.REQUIRED)
     public User createUser(final String givenName,
                            final String familyName,
-                           @Pattern(regexp = "[a-zA-Z0-9\\-_]*")
+//                           @Pattern(regexp = "[a-zA-Z0-9\\-_]*")
                            final String name,
                            final String emailAddress,
                            final String password) {
diff --git a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserRepository.java b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserRepository.java
index da62c42fc..6d59ef454 100644
--- a/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserRepository.java
+++ b/ccm-core/src/main/java/org/libreccm/security/UserRepository.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public class UserRepository extends AbstractEntityRepository<Long, User> {
             .getEntityGraph(entityGraphName);
         return findByName(name, entityGraph);
     }
-
+    
     public Optional<User> findByName(final String name,
                            final EntityGraph<User> entityGraph) {
         final TypedQuery<User> query = getEntityManager().createNamedQuery(
@@ -96,6 +96,16 @@ public class UserRepository extends AbstractEntityRepository<Long, User> {
         return getSingleResult(query);
     }
 
+    public boolean isNameInUse(final String name) {
+        
+        final TypedQuery<Long> query = getEntityManager()
+        .createNamedQuery("User.countByName", Long.class);
+        query.setParameter("name", name);
+        
+        final Long result = query.getSingleResult();
+        return result > 0;
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Finds user by the primary email address.
      *
@@ -131,6 +141,16 @@ public class UserRepository extends AbstractEntityRepository<Long, User> {
 
         return getSingleResult(query);
     }
+    
+    public boolean isEmailAddressInUse(final String emailAddress) {
+        
+        final TypedQuery<Long> query = getEntityManager()
+        .createNamedQuery("User.countByPrimaryEmailAddress", Long.class);
+        query.setParameter("emailAddress", emailAddress);
+        
+        final Long result = query.getSingleResult();
+        return result > 0;
+    }
 
     public List<User> filtered(final String term) {
         final TypedQuery<User> query = getEntityManager().createNamedQuery(