diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee
index d268f12d73..6adc174be4 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ module.exports = UserUpdater =
 	# emails and the default rather than calling this method directly
 	#
 	changeEmailAddress: (userId, newEmail, callback)->
+		newEmail = EmailHelper.parseEmail(newEmail)
+		return callback(new Error('invalid email')) if !newEmail?
 		logger.log userId: userId, newEmail: newEmail, "updaing email address of user"
 
 		oldEmail = null
@@ -49,6 +51,8 @@ module.exports = UserUpdater =
 		unless callback? # affiliationOptions is optional
 			callback = affiliationOptions
 			affiliationOptions = {}
+		newEmail = EmailHelper.parseEmail(newEmail)
+		return callback(new Error('invalid email')) if !newEmail?
 
 		UserGetter.ensureUniqueEmailAddress newEmail, (error) =>
 			return callback(error) if error?
@@ -69,6 +73,8 @@ module.exports = UserUpdater =
 	# remove one of the user's email addresses. The email cannot be the user's
 	# default email address
 	removeEmailAddress: (userId, email, callback) ->
+		email = EmailHelper.parseEmail(email)
+		return callback(new Error('invalid email')) if !email?
 		removeAffiliation userId, email, (error) =>
 			if error?
 				logger.err error: error, 'problem removing affiliation'
@@ -88,6 +94,8 @@ module.exports = UserUpdater =
 	# set the default email address by setting the `email` attribute. The email
 	# must be one of the user's multiple emails (`emails` attribute)
 	setDefaultEmailAddress: (userId, email, callback) ->
+		email = EmailHelper.parseEmail(email)
+		return callback(new Error('invalid email')) if !email?
 		query = _id: userId, 'emails.email': email
 		update = $set: email: email
 		@updateUser query, update, (error, res) ->
diff --git a/services/web/test/unit/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee b/services/web/test/unit/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee
index fc9a4d8558..0c872e5e4a 100644
--- a/services/web/test/unit/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/unit/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 				).should.equal true
 				done()
 
+		it 'validates email', (done)->
+			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress @stubbedUser._id, 'foo', (err)=>
+				should.exist(err)
+				done()
+
 		it 'handle error', (done)->
 			@UserUpdater.removeEmailAddress.callsArgWith(2, new Error('nope'))
 			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress @stubbedUser._id, @newEmail, (err)=>
@@ -111,6 +116,11 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 				@UserUpdater.updateUser.called.should.equal false
 				done()
 
+		it 'validates email', (done)->
+			@UserUpdater.addEmailAddress @stubbedUser._id, 'bar', (err)=>
+				should.exist(err)
+				done()
+
 	describe 'removeEmailAddress', ->
 		beforeEach ->
 			@UserUpdater.updateUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, nMatched: 1)
@@ -154,6 +164,11 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 				@UserUpdater.updateUser.called.should.equal false
 				done()
 
+		it 'validates email', (done)->
+			@UserUpdater.removeEmailAddress @stubbedUser._id, 'baz', (err)=>
+				should.exist(err)
+				done()
+
 	describe 'setDefaultEmailAddress', ->
 		it 'set default', (done)->
 			@UserUpdater.updateUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, n: 1)
@@ -180,6 +195,11 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 				should.exist(err)
 				done()
 
+		it 'validates email', (done)->
+			@UserUpdater.setDefaultEmailAddress @stubbedUser._id, '.edu', (err)=>
+				should.exist(err)
+				done()
+
 	describe 'confirmEmail', ->
 		it 'should update the email record', (done)->
 			@UserUpdater.updateUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, n: 1)
@@ -205,3 +225,8 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 			@UserUpdater.confirmEmail @stubbedUser._id, @newEmail, (err)=>
 				should.exist(err)
 				done()
+
+		it 'validates email', (done)->
+			@UserUpdater.confirmEmail @stubbedUser._id, '@', (err)=>
+				should.exist(err)
+				done()