diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js
index cfe7efeae83..32c5805cc62 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences_controller.js
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ Discourse.PreferencesController = Discourse.ObjectController.extend({
 
   saveDisabled: function() {
     if (this.get('saving')) return true;
-    if (this.blank('name')) return true;
+    if (Discourse.SiteSettings.enable_names && this.blank('name')) return true;
     if (this.blank('email')) return true;
     return false;
   }.property('saving', 'name', 'email'),
 
+  canEditName: function() {
+    return Discourse.SiteSettings.enable_names;
+  }.property(),
+
   digestFrequencies: [{ name: I18n.t('user.email_digests.daily'), value: 1 },
                       { name: I18n.t('user.email_digests.weekly'), value: 7 },
                       { name: I18n.t('user.email_digests.bi_weekly'), value: 14 }],
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
index 7fa3df262a1..646aed889ad 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
@@ -35,6 +35,20 @@ Discourse.User = Discourse.Model.extend({
     };
   }.property('username_lower'),
 
+  /**
+    This user's display name. Returns the name if possible, otherwise returns the
+    username.
+
+    @property displayName
+    @type {String}
+  **/
+  displayName: function() {
+    if (Discourse.SiteSettings.enable_names && !this.blank('name')) {
+      return this.get('name');
+    }
+    return this.get('username');
+  }.property('username', 'name'),
+
   /**
     This user's website.
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user_action.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user_action.js
index 0d0a2c2bc21..3adebb62748 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user_action.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user_action.js
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Discourse.UserAction = Discourse.Model.extend({
       post_number: '#' + this.get('reply_to_post_number'),
       user1Url: this.get('userUrl'),
       user2Url: this.get('targetUserUrl'),
-      another_user: this.get('target_name')
+      another_user: this.get('targetDisplayName')
     }));
 
   }.property('descriptionKey'),
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ Discourse.UserAction = Discourse.Model.extend({
   }.property('target_username'),
 
   presentName: Em.computed.any('name', 'username'),
+  targetDisplayName: Em.computed.any('target_name', 'target_username'),
+  actingDisplayName: Em.computed.any('acting_name', 'acting_username'),
+
 
   targetUserUrl: Discourse.computed.url('target_username', '/users/%@'),
   usernameLower: function() {
@@ -170,7 +173,7 @@ Discourse.UserAction = Discourse.Model.extend({
     this.setProperties({
       username: this.get('acting_username'),
       avatar_template: this.get('acting_avatar_template'),
-      name: this.get('acting_name')
+      name: this.get('actingDisplayName')
     });
   }
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
index 506d98d710d..eb420815f59 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/header.js.handlebars
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       {{#unless showExtraInfo}}
         <div class='current-username'>
           {{#if currentUser}}
-            <span class='username'><a {{bindAttr href="currentUser.path"}}>{{currentUser.name}}</a></span>
+            <span class='username'><a {{bindAttr href="currentUser.path"}}>{{currentUser.displayName}}</a></span>
           {{else}}
             <button {{action showLogin}} class='btn btn-primary btn-small'>{{i18n log_in}}</button>
           {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars
index 7e5ccb14c41..dc85543869a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.js.handlebars
@@ -15,15 +15,17 @@
       </div>
     </div>
 
-    <div class="control-group">
-      <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.name.title}}</label>
-      <div class="controls">
-        {{textField value=name classNames="input-xxlarge"}}
+    {{#if canEditName}}
+      <div class="control-group">
+        <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.name.title}}</label>
+        <div class="controls">
+          {{textField value=name classNames="input-xxlarge"}}
+        </div>
+        <div class='instructions'>
+          {{i18n user.name.instructions}}
+        </div>
       </div>
-      <div class='instructions'>
-        {{i18n user.name.instructions}}
-      </div>
-    </div>
+    {{/if}}
 
     <div class="control-group">
       <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.email.title}}</label>
diff --git a/app/serializers/basic_user_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/basic_user_serializer.rb
index 1deede21e82..db8f7d02d30 100644
--- a/app/serializers/basic_user_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/basic_user_serializer.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 class BasicUserSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
   attributes :id, :username, :avatar_template
+
+  def include_name?
+    SiteSetting.enable_names?
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/serializers/user_action_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/user_action_serializer.rb
index 0fa62156c53..5f2345f6f38 100644
--- a/app/serializers/user_action_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/user_action_serializer.rb
@@ -45,6 +45,18 @@ class UserActionSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
     )
   end
 
+  def include_name?
+    SiteSetting.enable_names?
+  end
+
+  def include_target_name?
+    include_name?
+  end
+
+  def include_acting_name?
+    include_name?
+  end
+
   def slug
     Slug.for(object.title)
   end
diff --git a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
index 5af590cb167..7c778f21543 100644
--- a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
@@ -94,10 +94,6 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
     User.gravatar_template(object.email)
   end
 
-  def include_name?
-    SiteSetting.enable_names?
-  end
-
   def include_suspended?
     object.suspended?
   end