diff --git a/common/models/user.js b/common/models/user.js
index 3c7e54cbb3..9b7de00def 100644
--- a/common/models/user.js
+++ b/common/models/user.js
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
   // username should be unique
   User.validatesUniquenessOf('username');
 
+  User.observe('before save', function({ instance: user }, next) {
+    if (user) {
+      user.username = user.username.trim().toLowerCase();
+      user.email = user.email.trim().toLowerCase();
+    }
+    next();
+  });
+
   debug('setting up user hooks');
   User.afterRemote('confirm', function(ctx) {
     ctx.req.flash('success', {
diff --git a/common/models/user.json b/common/models/user.json
index b961807093..97027fd50e 100644
--- a/common/models/user.json
+++ b/common/models/user.json
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@
           "unique": true,
           "sparse": true
         }
-      },
-      "lowercase": true,
-      "trim": true
+      }
     },
     "password": {
       "type": "string"
@@ -45,9 +43,12 @@
     },
     "username": {
       "type": "string",
-      "lowercase": true,
-      "trim": true,
-      "require": true
+      "require": true,
+      "index": {
+        "mongodb": {
+          "unique": true
+        }
+      }
     },
     "bio": {
       "type": "string",