diff --git a/src/js/client.js b/src/js/client.js
index e9f1e6e34..b9f8be77a 100644
--- a/src/js/client.js
+++ b/src/js/client.js
@@ -1819,6 +1819,7 @@ angular.module('Application').service('Client', ['$http', '$interval', '$timeout
             active: user.active,
             role: user.role
         };
+        if (user.username) data.username = user.username;
 
         post('/api/v1/users/' + user.id, data, null, function (error, data, status) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
diff --git a/src/views/users.html b/src/views/users.html
index bd6b50ae8..0a48ad1ec 100644
--- a/src/views/users.html
+++ b/src/views/users.html
@@ -175,6 +175,14 @@
         <form name="useredit_form" role="form" ng-submit="useredit.submit()" autocomplete="off">
           <p class="has-error text-center" ng-show="useredit.error.generic">{{ useredit.error.generic }}</p>
 
+          <!-- when user profiles are locked, this provides a way for the admin to set the username -->
+          <div class="form-group" ng-hide="useredit.source || useredit.userInfo.username" ng-class="{ 'has-error': (useredit_form.username.$dirty && useredit_form.username.$invalid) || (!useredit_form.username.$dirty && useredit.error.username) }">
+            <label class="control-label">{{ 'users.user.username' | tr }}</label>
+            <div class="control-label" ng-show="(!useredit_form.username.$dirty && useredit.error.username) || (useredit_form.username.$dirty && useredit_form.username.$invalid) || (!useredit_form.username.$dirty && useredit.error.username)">
+              <small ng-show="!useredit_form.username.$dirty && useredit.error.username">{{ useredit.error.username }}</small>
+            </div>
+            <input type="text" class="form-control" ng-model="useredit.username" name="username" autocomplete="off">
+          </div>
           <div class="form-group" ng-hide="useredit.source" ng-class="{ 'has-error': (useredit_form.displayName.$dirty && useredit_form.displayName.$invalid) || (!useredit_form.displayName.$dirty && useredit.error.displayName) }">
             <label class="control-label">{{ 'users.user.displayName' | tr }}</label>
             <div class="control-label" ng-show="(!useredit_form.displayName.$dirty && useredit.error.displayName) || (useredit_form.displayName.$dirty && useredit_form.displayName.$invalid) || (!useredit_form.displayName.$dirty && useredit.error.displayName)">
diff --git a/src/views/users.js b/src/views/users.js
index 5b7f345fd..4c3100f0c 100644
--- a/src/views/users.js
+++ b/src/views/users.js
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('UsersController', ['$scope', '$locatio
         userInfo: {},
 
         // form fields
+        username: '',
         email: '',
         fallbackEmail: '',
         aliases: {},
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('UsersController', ['$scope', '$locatio
 
         show: function (userInfo) {
             $scope.useredit.error = {};
+            $scope.useredit.username = userInfo.username;
             $scope.useredit.email = userInfo.email;
             $scope.useredit.displayName = userInfo.displayName;
             $scope.useredit.fallbackEmail = userInfo.fallbackEmail;
@@ -271,6 +273,8 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('UsersController', ['$scope', '$locatio
 
             // only change those if it is a local user
             if (!$scope.useredit.source) {
+                // username is settable only if it was empty previously. it's editable for the "lock" profiles feature
+                if (!$scope.useredit.userInfo.username) data.username = $scope.useredit.username;
                 data.email = $scope.useredit.email;
                 data.displayName = $scope.useredit.displayName;
                 data.fallbackEmail = $scope.useredit.fallbackEmail;
@@ -281,7 +285,11 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('UsersController', ['$scope', '$locatio
                     $scope.useredit.busy = false;
 
                     if (error.statusCode === 409) {
-                        $scope.useredit.error.email = 'Email already taken';
+                        if (error.message.toLowerCase().indexOf('email') !== -1) {
+                            $scope.useredit.error.email = 'Email already taken';
+                        } else if (error.message.toLowerCase().indexOf('username') !== -1) {
+                            $scope.useredit.error.username = 'Username already taken';
+                        }
                         $scope.useredit_form.email.$setPristine();
                         $('#inputUserEditEmail').focus();
                     } else {