diff --git a/app/lib/auth.coffee b/app/lib/auth.coffee
index 9a75af184..53cef7ced 100644
--- a/app/lib/auth.coffee
+++ b/app/lib/auth.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{backboneFailure, genericFailure} = require 'lib/errors'
+{backboneFailure, genericFailure, parseServerError} = require 'lib/errors'
 User = require 'models/User'
 storage = require 'lib/storage'
 BEEN_HERE_BEFORE_KEY = 'beenHereBefore'
@@ -16,7 +16,14 @@ init = ->
 module.exports.createUser = (userObject, failure=backboneFailure, nextURL=null) ->
   user = new User(userObject)
   user.save({}, {
-    error: failure,
+    error: (model,jqxhr,options) -> 
+      error = parseServerError(jqxhr.responseText)
+      property = error.property if error.property
+      if jqxhr.status is 409 and property is 'name'
+        anonUserObject = _.omit(userObject, 'name')
+        module.exports.createUser anonUserObject, failure, nextURL
+      else
+        genericFailure(jqxhr)
     success: -> if nextURL then window.location.href = nextURL else window.location.reload()
   })
   
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d4c3fb6c9..10c966fd8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     "mongoose": "3.8.x",
     "mongoose-text-search": "~0.0.2",
     "request": "2.12.x",
-    "tv4": "1.0.x",
+    "tv4": "~1.0.16",
     "lodash": "~2.0.0",
     "underscore.string": "2.3.x",
     "async": "0.2.x",
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@
     "karma-phantomjs-launcher": "~0.1.1",
     "karma": "~0.10.9",
     "karma-coverage": "~0.1.4",
-    "compressible": "~1.0.1"
+    "compressible": "~1.0.1",
+    "jasmine-spec-reporter":"~0.3.0"
   },
   "license": "MIT for the code, and CC-BY for the art and music",
   "private": true,
diff --git a/server/users/user_handler.coffee b/server/users/user_handler.coffee
index b720f1e5c..caddfedc0 100644
--- a/server/users/user_handler.coffee
+++ b/server/users/user_handler.coffee
@@ -105,11 +105,12 @@ UserHandler = class UserHandler extends Handler
     (req, user, callback) ->
       return callback(null, req, user) unless req.body.name
       nameLower = req.body.name?.toLowerCase()
-      return callback(null, req, user) if nameLower is user.get('nameLower')
-      User.findOne({nameLower:nameLower}).exec (err, otherUser) ->
+      # return callback(null, req, user) if nameLower is user.get('nameLower')
+      User.findOne({nameLower:nameLower,anonymous:false}).exec (err, otherUser) ->
         log.error "Database error setting user name: #{err}" if err
         return callback(res:'Database error.', code:500) if err
         r = {message:'is already used by another account', property:'name'}
+        console.log 'Another user exists' if otherUser
         return callback({res:r, code:409}) if otherUser
         user.set('name', req.body.name)
         callback(null, req, user)
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ UserHandler = class UserHandler extends Handler
     @getPropertiesFromMultipleDocuments res, User, properties, ids
 
   nameToID: (req, res, name) ->
-    User.findOne({nameLower:name.toLowerCase()}).exec (err, otherUser) ->
+    User.findOne({nameLower:name.toLowerCase(),anonymous:false}).exec (err, otherUser) ->
       res.send(if otherUser then otherUser._id else JSON.stringify(''))
       res.end()
 
diff --git a/test/server/common.coffee b/test/server/common.coffee
index 80aa6e47e..dc01d8389 100644
--- a/test/server/common.coffee
+++ b/test/server/common.coffee
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@
 
 console.log 'IT BEGINS'
 
-
+require('jasmine-spec-reporter')
+jasmine.getEnv().reporter.subReporters_ = []
+jasmine.getEnv().addReporter(new jasmine.SpecReporter({
+  displaySuccessfulSpec: true,
+  displayFailedSpec: true
+  }))
 GLOBAL._ = require('lodash')
 _.str = require('underscore.string')
 _.mixin(_.str.exports())
diff --git a/test/server/functional/user.spec.coffee b/test/server/functional/user.spec.coffee
index 46c98fc24..7ce89886d 100644
--- a/test/server/functional/user.spec.coffee
+++ b/test/server/functional/user.spec.coffee
@@ -44,6 +44,20 @@ describe 'User.updateMailChimp', ->
           
 describe 'POST /db/user', ->
 
+  createAnonNameUser = (done)->
+    request.post getURL('/auth/logout'), ->
+      request.get getURL('/auth/whoami'), ->
+        req = request.post(getURL('/db/user'), (err, response) ->
+          expect(response.statusCode).toBe(200)
+          request.get getURL('/auth/whoami'), (request, response, body) ->
+            res = JSON.parse(response.body)
+            expect(res.anonymous).toBeTruthy()
+            expect(res.name).toEqual('Jim')
+            done() 
+        )
+        form = req.form()
+        form.append('name', 'Jim')
+
   it 'preparing test : clears the db first', (done) ->
     clearModels [User], (err) ->
       throw err if err
@@ -90,6 +104,36 @@ describe 'POST /db/user', ->
           expect(user.passwordHash).toBeUndefined()
           done()
 
+  it 'should allow setting anonymous user name', (done) ->
+    createAnonNameUser(done)
+
+  it 'should allow multiple anonymous users with same name', (done) ->
+    createAnonNameUser(done)
+
+
+  it 'should not allow setting existing user name to anonymous user', (done) ->
+
+    createAnonUser = ->
+      request.post getURL('/auth/logout'), ->
+        request.get getURL('/auth/whoami'), ->
+          req = request.post(getURL('/db/user'), (err, response) ->
+            expect(response.statusCode).toBe(409)
+            done() 
+          )
+          form = req.form()
+          form.append('name', 'Jim')
+
+    req = request.post(getURL('/db/user'), (err,response,body) ->
+      expect(response.statusCode).toBe(200)
+      request.get getURL('/auth/whoami'), (request, response, body) ->
+        res = JSON.parse(response.body)
+        expect(res.anonymous).toBeFalsy()
+        createAnonUser()
+    )
+    form = req.form()
+    form.append('email', 'new@user.com')
+    form.append('password', 'new')
+
 
 describe 'PUT /db/user', ->