diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 3cc1ee3bc..de7722fe5 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -259,7 +259,12 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       return fail_with("login.reserved_username")
     end
 
-    user = User.new(user_params)
+    if user = User.where(staged: true).find_by(email: params[:email].strip.downcase)
+      user_params.each { |k, v| user.send("#{k}=", v) }
+      user.staged = false
+    else
+      user = User.new(user_params)
+    end
 
     # Handle custom fields
     user_fields = UserField.all
diff --git a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
index e9423b826..741a023d4 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -746,6 +746,17 @@ describe UsersController do
       end
     end
 
+    context "when taking over a staged account" do
+      let!(:staged) { Fabricate(:staged, email: "staged@account.com") }
+
+      it "succeeds" do
+        xhr :post, :create, email: staged.email, username: "zogstrip", password: "P4ssw0rd"
+        result = ::JSON.parse(response.body)
+        expect(result["success"]).to eq(true)
+        expect(User.find_by(email: staged.email).staged).to eq(false)
+      end
+    end
+
   end
 
   context '.username' do