diff --git a/common/models/user.json b/common/models/user.json
index 076a74dd1e..84ee2a1ba6 100644
--- a/common/models/user.json
+++ b/common/models/user.json
@@ -174,6 +174,12 @@
   },
   "validations": [],
   "relations": {},
-  "acls": [],
+  "acls": [{
+    "accessType": "EXECUTE",
+    "principalType": "ROLE",
+    "principalId": "$everyone",
+    "permission": "ALLOW",
+    "property": "doesExist"
+  }],
   "methods": []
 }
diff --git a/public/js/main_0.0.2.js b/public/js/main_0.0.2.js
index c8e67d6aaf..3b87d243a1 100644
--- a/public/js/main_0.0.2.js
+++ b/public/js/main_0.0.2.js
@@ -475,14 +475,16 @@ profileValidation.directive('uniqueEmail', ['$http', function($http) {
       element.bind("keyup", function (event) {
         ngModel.$setValidity('unique', true);
         var email = element.val();
-        if (element.val()) {
+        if (email) {
           var config = { params: { email: email } };
           $http
             .get('/api/users/exists', config)
             .success(function (exists) {
               if (email === scope.storedEmail) {
                 ngModel.$setValidity('unique', true);
-              } else if (exists) {
+                console.log('scoped.storedEmail', scoped.storedEmail);
+              } else if (exists.exists) {
+                console.log('setValid to false');
                 ngModel.$setValidity('unique', false);
               }
             });
diff --git a/server/boot/a-extendUser.js b/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
index f5cb84cd52..ebb7b4724a 100644
--- a/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
+++ b/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
@@ -64,17 +64,26 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
   });
 
   User.doesExist = function doesExist(username, email, cb) {
+    if (!username && !email) {
+      return process.nextTick(function() {
+        cb(null, false);
+      });
+    }
     debug('checking existence');
     var where = {};
     if (username) {
-      where.username = username;
+      where.username = username.toLowerCase();
     } else {
-      where.email = email;
+      where.email = email ? email.toLowerCase() : email;
     }
+    debug('where', where);
     User.count(
-      { where: where },
+      where,
       function (err, count) {
-        if (err) { return cb(err); }
+        if (err) {
+          debug('err checking existance: ', err);
+          return cb(err);
+        }
         if (count > 0) {
           return cb(null, true);
         }
@@ -104,7 +113,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
         }
       ],
       http: {
-        path: '/exists'
+        path: '/exists',
+        verb: 'get'
       }
     }
   );