diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserInfoController.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserInfoController.coffee
index 8054f48afe..0de5501e3c 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserInfoController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserInfoController.coffee
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ UserDeleter = require("./UserDeleter")
 UserUpdater = require("./UserUpdater")
 sanitize = require('sanitizer')
 AuthenticationController = require('../Authentication/AuthenticationController')
+ObjectId = require("mongojs").ObjectId
 
 module.exports = UserController =
 	getLoggedInUsersPersonalInfo: (req, res, next = (error) ->) ->
@@ -19,8 +20,17 @@ module.exports = UserController =
 			UserController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo(user, res, next)
 
 	getPersonalInfo: (req, res, next = (error) ->) ->
-		UserGetter.getUser req.params.user_id, { _id: true, first_name: true, last_name: true, email: true}, (error, user) ->
-			logger.log user_id: req.params.user_id, "reciving request for getting users personal info"
+		{user_id} = req.params
+
+		if user_id.match(/^\d+$/)
+			query = { "overleaf.id": parseInt(user_id, 10) }
+		else if user_id.match(/^[a-f0-9]{24}$/)
+			query = { _id: ObjectId(user_id) }
+		else
+			return res.send(400)
+
+		UserGetter.getUser query, { _id: true, first_name: true, last_name: true, email: true}, (error, user) ->
+			logger.log user_id: req.params.user_id, "receiving request for getting users personal info"
 			return next(error) if error?
 			return res.send(404) if !user?
 			UserController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo(user, res, next)
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserInfoControllerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserInfoControllerTests.coffee
index 37a1c034f0..7f1c0917d6 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserInfoControllerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserInfoControllerTests.coffee
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ ObjectId = require("mongojs").ObjectId
 
 describe "UserInfoController", ->
 	beforeEach ->
-		@UserDeleter = 
+		@UserDeleter =
 			deleteUser: sinon.stub().callsArgWith(1)
-		@UserUpdater = 
+		@UserUpdater =
 			updatePersonalInfo: sinon.stub()
 		@sanitizer = escape:(v)->v
 		sinon.spy @sanitizer, "escape"
@@ -50,23 +50,47 @@ describe "UserInfoController", ->
 				.should.equal true
 
 	describe "getPersonalInfo", ->
-		beforeEach ->
-			@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
-			@user =
-				_id: ObjectId(@user_id)
-			@req.params = user_id: @user_id
-
-		describe "when the user exists", ->
+		describe "when the user exists with sharelatex id", ->
 			beforeEach ->
+				@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
+				@user =
+					_id: ObjectId(@user_id)
+				@req.params = user_id: @user_id
 				@UserGetter.getUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, @user)
 				@UserInfoController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo = sinon.stub()
 				@UserInfoController.getPersonalInfo(@req, @res, @next)
 
 			it "should look up the user in the database", ->
 				@UserGetter.getUser
-					.calledWith(@user_id, { _id: true, first_name: true, last_name: true, email: true })
+					.calledWith(
+						{ _id: ObjectId(@user_id) },
+						{ _id: true, first_name: true, last_name: true, email: true }
+					).should.equal true
+
+			it "should send the formatted details back to the client", ->
+				@UserInfoController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo
+					.calledWith(@user, @res, @next)
 					.should.equal true
-				
+
+		describe "when the user exists with overleaf id", ->
+			beforeEach ->
+				@user_id = 12345
+				@user =
+					_id: ObjectId()
+					overleaf:
+						id: @user_id
+				@req.params = user_id: @user_id.toString()
+				@UserGetter.getUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, @user)
+				@UserInfoController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo = sinon.stub()
+				@UserInfoController.getPersonalInfo(@req, @res, @next)
+
+			it "should look up the user in the database", ->
+				@UserGetter.getUser
+					.calledWith(
+						{ "overleaf.id": @user_id },
+						{ _id: true, first_name: true, last_name: true, email: true }
+					).should.equal true
+
 			it "should send the formatted details back to the client", ->
 				@UserInfoController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo
 					.calledWith(@user, @res, @next)
@@ -74,13 +98,24 @@ describe "UserInfoController", ->
 
 		describe "when the user does not exist", ->
 			beforeEach ->
+				@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
+				@req.params = user_id: @user_id
 				@UserGetter.getUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, null)
-				@UserInfoController.sendFormattedPersonalInfo = sinon.stub()
 				@UserInfoController.getPersonalInfo(@req, @res, @next)
 
 			it "should return 404 to the client", ->
 				@res.statusCode.should.equal 404
 
+		describe "when the user id is invalid", ->
+			beforeEach ->
+				@user_id = "invalid"
+				@req.params = user_id: @user_id
+				@UserGetter.getUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, null)
+				@UserInfoController.getPersonalInfo(@req, @res, @next)
+
+			it "should return 400 to the client", ->
+				@res.statusCode.should.equal 400
+
 	describe "sendFormattedPersonalInfo", ->
 		beforeEach ->
 			@user =