diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserController.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserController.coffee
index 0551362386..bb3ed6be55 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserController.coffee
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ module.exports =
 
 	updateUserSettings : (req, res)->
 		logger.log user: req.session.user, "updating account settings"
-		User.findById req.session.user._id, (err, user)->
+		newEmail = req.body.email?.trim()
+		user_id = req.session.user._id
+		User.findById user_id, (err, user)->
 			if err? or !user?
-				logger.err err:err, user_id:req.session.user._id, "problem updaing user settings"
+				logger.err err:err, user_id:user_id, "problem updaing user settings"
 				return res.send 500
 			user.first_name   = sanitize.escape(req.body.first_name).trim()
 			user.last_name    = sanitize.escape(req.body.last_name).trim()
@@ -40,8 +42,17 @@ module.exports =
 			user.ace.autoComplete = req.body.autoComplete == "true"
 			user.ace.spellCheckLanguage = req.body.spellCheckLanguage
 			user.ace.pdfViewer = req.body.pdfViewer
-			user.save ->
-				res.send()
+			user.save (err)->
+				if !newEmail? or newEmail.length == 0 or newEmail.indexOf("@") == -1
+					return res.send(412)
+				else if newEmail == user.email
+					return res.send 200
+				else 
+					UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress user_id, newEmail, (err)->
+						if err?
+							logger.err err:err, user_id:user_id, newEmail:newEmail, "problem updaing users email address"
+							return res.send 500, {message:err?.message}
+						res.send(200)
 
 	logout : (req, res)->
 		metrics.inc "user.logout"
@@ -104,13 +115,5 @@ module.exports =
 					  text:'Your old password is wrong'
 
 	changeEmailAddress: (req, res)->
-		newEmail = req.body.email
-		user_id = req.session.user._id
-		if !newEmail? or newEmail.length == 0 or newEmail.indexOf("@") == -1
-			return res.send(412)
-		UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress user_id, newEmail, (err)->
-			if err?
-				return res.send 500, {message:err?.message}
-			res.send 200
 
 
diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee
index 71a761a8e2..86ea60240d 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/User/UserUpdater.coffee
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+logger = require("logger-sharelatex")
 mongojs = require("../../infrastructure/mongojs")
 db = mongojs.db
 ObjectId = mongojs.ObjectId
@@ -15,13 +16,15 @@ module.exports = UserUpdater =
 
 	changeEmailAddress: (user_id, newEmail, callback)->
 		self = @
-		UserLocator.findById user_id, (error, user) ->
+		logger.log user_id:user_id, newEmail:newEmail, "updaing email address of user"
+		UserLocator.findByEmail newEmail, (error, user) ->
 			if user?
 				return callback({message:"User with that email already exists."})
 			self.updateUser user_id.toString(), {
 				$set: { "email": newEmail},
 			}, (err) ->
 				if err?
+					logger.err err:err, "problem updating users email"
 					return callback(err)
 				callback()
 
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/user/settings.jade b/services/web/app/views/user/settings.jade
index a982adb6cd..4270557d4d 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/user/settings.jade
+++ b/services/web/app/views/user/settings.jade
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ block content
 						form#userSettings.tab-content.form-horizontal
 							input(type="hidden", name="_csrf", value=csrfToken)
 							.tab-pane#personalSettings.active
+								.control-group
+									label(for='firstName').control-label Email
+									.controls
+										input#emailAddress(type='email', name='email', value=user.email)
 								.control-group
 									label(for='firstName').control-label First Name
 									.controls
diff --git a/services/web/public/coffee/forms.coffee b/services/web/public/coffee/forms.coffee
index 1f877af851..83569ca811 100644
--- a/services/web/public/coffee/forms.coffee
+++ b/services/web/public/coffee/forms.coffee
@@ -172,15 +172,9 @@ require [
 
 	$('form#userSettings').validate
 		rules:
-			newPassword1:
-				minlength: 1
-			newPassword2:
-				equalTo: "#newPassword1"
-		messages:
-			newPassword1:
-				minlength: "1 character minimum"
-			newPassword2:
-				equalTo: "Passwords don't match"
+			email:
+				required: true
+				email: true
 		highlight: (element, errorClass, validClas)->
 			$(element).parents("div[class='clearfix']").addClass("error")
 							 
@@ -191,14 +185,19 @@ require [
 			formData = $(form).serialize()
 			$.ajax
 				url: '/user/settings'
-				type:'POST'
+				type: 'POST'
 				data: formData
 				success: (data)->
 					if data.message
 						displayMessage data
 					else
 						new Message {text:"Your settings have been saved"}
+				error:(data)->
+					message = JSON.parse(data?.responseText)?.message
+					new Message type:"error", text: message || "Something went wrong processing your request."
 
+
+				
 	class Message
 		constructor: (message)->
 			aClose = $('<a></a>').addClass('close').attr('href','#').text('x')
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserControllerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserControllerTests.coffee
index 587fa7d804..cfdb1c7f10 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserControllerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserControllerTests.coffee
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ describe "UserController", ->
 			@UserController.unsubscribe @req, @res
 
 	describe "updateUserSettings", ->
+		beforeEach ->
+			@newEmail = "hello@world.com"
 
 		it "should call save", (done)->
 			@req.body = {}
@@ -102,6 +104,38 @@ describe "UserController", ->
 			@UserController.updateUserSettings @req, @res
 
 
+		it "should return an error if the email address is null", (done)->
+			@req.body.email = null
+			@res.send = (code)->
+				code.should.equal 412
+				done()
+			@UserController.updateUserSettings @req, @res
+
+		it "should send an error if the email is 0 len", (done)->
+			@req.body.email = ""
+			@res.send = (code)->
+				code.should.equal 412
+				done()
+			@UserController.updateUserSettings @req, @res
+
+		it "should send an error if the email does not contain an @", (done)->
+			@req.body.email = "bob at something dot com"
+			@res.send = (code)->
+				code.should.equal 412
+				done()
+			@UserController.updateUserSettings @req, @res
+
+		it "should call the user updater with the new email and user _id", (done)->
+			@req.body.email = @newEmail
+			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress.callsArgWith(2)
+			@res.send = (code)=>
+				code.should.equal 200
+				@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress.calledWith(@user_id, @newEmail).should.equal true
+				done()
+			@UserController.updateUserSettings @req, @res
+
+
+
 	describe "logout", ->
 
 		it "should destroy the session", (done)->
@@ -207,36 +241,3 @@ describe "UserController", ->
 			@UserController.changePassword @req, @res
 
 
-	describe "changeEmailAddress", ->
-		beforeEach ->
-			@newEmail = "new@email.com"
-
-		it "should return an error if the email address is null", (done)->
-			@req.body.email = null
-			@res.send = (code)->
-				code.should.equal 412
-				done()
-			@UserController.changeEmailAddress @req, @res
-
-		it "should send an error if the email is 0 len", (done)->
-			@req.body.email = ""
-			@res.send = (code)->
-				code.should.equal 412
-				done()
-			@UserController.changeEmailAddress @req, @res
-
-		it "should send an error if the email does not contain an @", (done)->
-			@req.body.email = "bob at something dot com"
-			@res.send = (code)->
-				code.should.equal 412
-				done()
-			@UserController.changeEmailAddress @req, @res
-
-		it "should call the user updater with the new email and user _id", (done)->
-			@req.body.email = @newEmail
-			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress.callsArgWith(2)
-			@res.send = (code)=>
-				code.should.equal 200
-				@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress.calledWith(@user_id, @newEmail).should.equal true
-				done()
-			@UserController.changeEmailAddress @req, @res
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee
index 02ad96af89..b4a62285b5 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/User/UserUpdaterTests.coffee
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 			db:{}
 			ObjectId:(id)-> return id
 		@UserLocator =
-			findById:sinon.stub()
+			findByEmail:sinon.stub()
 		@UserUpdater = SandboxedModule.require modulePath, requires:
 			"settings-sharelatex":@settings
 			"logger-sharelatex": log:->
@@ -33,15 +33,15 @@ describe "UserUpdater", ->
 			@UserUpdater.updateUser = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2)
 
 		it "should check if the new email already has an account", (done)->
-			@UserLocator.findById.callsArgWith(1, null, @stubbedUser)
-			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress @user_id, @newEmail, (err)=>
+			@UserLocator.findByEmail.callsArgWith(1, null, @stubbedUser)
+			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress @user_id, @stubbedUser.email, (err)=>
 				@UserUpdater.updateUser.called.should.equal false
 				should.exist(err)
 				done()
 
 
 		it "should set the users password", (done)->
-			@UserLocator.findById.callsArgWith(1, null)
+			@UserLocator.findByEmail.callsArgWith(1, null)
 			@UserUpdater.changeEmailAddress @user_id, @newEmail, (err)=>
 				@UserUpdater.updateUser.calledWith(@user_id, $set: { "email": @newEmail}).should.equal true
 				done()