diff --git a/src/routes/user.js b/src/routes/user.js
index d2a69590e..356dccede 100644
--- a/src/routes/user.js
+++ b/src/routes/user.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function createUser(req, res, next) {
     var sendInvite = req.body.invite;
     var displayName = req.body.displayName || '';
 
-    user.create(username, password, email, displayName, req.user /* creator */, sendInvite, function (error, user) {
+    user.create(username, password, email, displayName, { invitor: req.user, sendInvite: sendInvite }, function (error, user) {
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.BAD_USERNAME) return next(new HttpError(400, 'Invalid username'));
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.BAD_EMAIL) return next(new HttpError(400, 'Invalid email'));
         if (error && error.reason === UserError.BAD_PASSWORD) return next(new HttpError(400, 'Invalid password'));
diff --git a/src/test/user-test.js b/src/test/user-test.js
index ede542d83..922741017 100644
--- a/src/test/user-test.js
+++ b/src/test/user-test.js
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         after(cleanupUsers);
 
         it('fails due to short password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'Fo$%23', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'Fo$%23', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails due to missing upper case password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'thisiseightch%$234arslong', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'thisiseightch%$234arslong', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails due to missing numerics in password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF%', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF%', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails due to missing special chars in password', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF23423', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, 'foobaRASDF23423', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('succeeds and attempts to send invite', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null /* invitor */, true, function (error, result) {
+            user.createOwner(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).not.to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result.username).to.equal(USERNAME);
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails because user exists', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, PASSWORD, EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).not.to.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.ALREADY_EXISTS);
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ describe('User', function () {
         });
 
         it('fails because password is empty', function (done) {
-            user.create(USERNAME, '', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, null /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            user.create(USERNAME, '', EMAIL, DISPLAY_NAME, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.be.ok();
                 expect(result).not.to.be.ok();
                 expect(error.reason).to.equal(UserError.BAD_PASSWORD);
@@ -397,7 +397,8 @@ describe('User', function () {
                 email: 'some@thi.ng'
             };
 
-            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL } /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            var invitor = { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL };
+            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, { invitor: invitor }, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.not.be.ok();
                 expect(result).to.be.ok();
 
@@ -439,7 +440,8 @@ describe('User', function () {
                 email: 'some@thi.ng'
             };
 
-            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL } /* invitor */, false, function (error, result) {
+            var invitor = { username: USERNAME, email: EMAIL };
+            user.create(user1.username, user1.password, user1.email, DISPLAY_NAME, { invitor: invitor }, function (error, result) {
                 expect(error).to.eql(null);
                 expect(result).to.be.ok();
 
diff --git a/src/user.js b/src/user.js
index 632a1bbbf..23f6c3bc1 100644
--- a/src/user.js
+++ b/src/user.js
@@ -114,14 +114,20 @@ function validateDisplayName(name) {
     return null;
 }
 
-function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, invitor, sendInvite, callback) {
+function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, options, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof username, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof password, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof email, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof displayName, 'string');
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof invitor, 'object'); // null is ok
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof sendInvite, 'boolean');
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    if (typeof options === 'function') {
+        callback = options;
+        options = null;
+    }
+
+    var invitor = options ? options.invitor : null,
+        sendInvite = options ? options.sendInvite : false,
+        owner = options ? options.owner : false;
 
     var error = validateUsername(username);
     if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -160,7 +166,7 @@ function createUser(username, password, email, displayName, invitor, sendInvite,
 
                 callback(null, user);
 
-                mailer.userAdded(user, sendInvite);
+                if (!owner) mailer.userAdded(user, sendInvite);
                 if (sendInvite) mailer.sendInvite(user, invitor);
             });
         });
@@ -400,7 +406,7 @@ function createOwner(username, password, email, displayName, callback) {
         if (error) return callback(new UserError(UserError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
         if (count !== 0) return callback(new UserError(UserError.ALREADY_EXISTS));
 
-        createUser(username, password, email, displayName, null /* invitor */, false /* sendInvite */, function (error, user) {
+        createUser(username, password, email, displayName, { owner: true }, function (error, user) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
             groups.addMember(groups.ADMIN_GROUP_ID, user.id, function (error) {