diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6
index 680f4cf43..d8fdd6c10 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export default Discourse.ObjectController.extend({
   canEditName: Discourse.computed.setting('enable_names'),
 
   canSelectTitle: function() {
-    return Discourse.SiteSettings.enable_badges && this.get('model.badge_count') > 0;
+    return Discourse.SiteSettings.enable_badges && this.get('model.has_title_badges');
   }.property('model.badge_count'),
 
   availableLocales: function() {
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 6d8d89f3c..318ce9f12 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   has_many :user_actions, dependent: :destroy
   has_many :post_actions, dependent: :destroy
   has_many :user_badges, dependent: :destroy
+  has_many :badges, through: :user_badges
   has_many :email_logs, dependent: :destroy
   has_many :post_timings
   has_many :topic_allowed_users, dependent: :destroy
diff --git a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
index 52fbadbfd..3968dc2b7 100644
--- a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
              :suspend_reason,
              :suspended_till,
              :uploaded_avatar_id,
-             :badge_count
+             :badge_count,
+             :has_title_badges
 
   has_one :invited_by, embed: :object, serializer: BasicUserSerializer
   has_many :custom_groups, embed: :object, serializer: BasicGroupSerializer
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
                      :disable_jump_reply,
                      :gravatar_avatar_upload_id,
                      :custom_avatar_upload_id,
-                     :custom_fields
+                     :custom_fields,
+                     :has_title_badges
 
   ###
   ### ATTRIBUTES
@@ -230,4 +232,8 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
     object.user_avatar.try(:custom_upload_id)
   end
 
+  def has_title_badges
+    object.badges.where(allow_title: true).count > 0
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
index 8cbe1f84d..42ccc49be 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -11,8 +11,12 @@ describe UsersController do
     let!(:user) { log_in }
 
     it 'returns success' do
-      xhr :get, :show, username: user.username
+      xhr :get, :show, username: user.username, format: :json
       response.should be_success
+      json = JSON.parse(response.body)
+
+      json["user"]["has_title_badges"].should == false
+
     end
 
     it "returns not found when the username doesn't exist" do