diff --git a/test/api/v3/integration/user/auth/POST-register_local.test.js b/test/api/v3/integration/user/auth/POST-register_local.test.js
index a8fa55f095..4be22ed0ec 100644
--- a/test/api/v3/integration/user/auth/POST-register_local.test.js
+++ b/test/api/v3/integration/user/auth/POST-register_local.test.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 import { v4 as generateRandomUserName } from 'uuid';
 import { each } from 'lodash';
 
-describe.skip('POST /user/register/local', () => {
+describe('POST /user/register/local', () => {
   context('username and email are free', () => {
     it('registers a new user', () => {
       let api = requester();
diff --git a/website/src/controllers/api-v3/user.js b/website/src/controllers/api-v3/user.js
index 0d347b17fb..8e7cbb4c62 100644
--- a/website/src/controllers/api-v3/user.js
+++ b/website/src/controllers/api-v3/user.js
@@ -28,11 +28,32 @@ api.registerLocal = {
   method: 'POST',
   url: '/user/auth/local/register',
   handler (req, res, next) {
-    let email = req.body.email.toLowerCase();
+    let email = req.body.email && req.body.email.toLowerCase();
     let username = req.body.username;
     // Get the lowercase version of username to check that we do not have duplicates
     // So we can search for it in the database and then reject the choosen username if 1 or more results are found
-    let lowerCaseUsername = username.toLowerCase();
+    let lowerCaseUsername = username && username.toLowerCase();
+
+    let newUser = new User({
+      auth: {
+        local: {
+          username,
+          lowerCaseUsername, // Store the lowercase version of the username
+          email, // Store email as lowercase
+          salt: passwordUtils.makeSalt(),
+          password: req.body.password,
+          passwordConfirmation: req.body.passwordConfirmation,
+        },
+      },
+      preferences: {
+        language: req.language,
+      },
+    });
+
+    newUser.registeredThrough = req.headers['x-client']; // TODO is this saved somewhere?
+    let validationErrors = newUser.validateSync(); // Validate synchronously for speed, remove if we add any async validator
+
+    if (validationErrors) return next(validationErrors);
 
     // Search for duplicates using lowercase version of username
     User.findOne({$or: [
@@ -47,24 +68,6 @@ api.registerLocal = {
         if (lowerCaseUsername === user.auth.local.lowerCaseUsername) return next(new NotAuthorized(res.t('usernameTaken')));
       }
 
-      let newUser = new User({
-        auth: {
-          local: {
-            username,
-            lowerCaseUsername, // Store the lowercase version of the username
-            email, // Store email as lowercase
-            salt: passwordUtils.makeSalt(),
-            password: req.body.password,
-            passwordConfirmation: req.body.passwordConfirmation,
-          },
-        },
-        preferences: {
-          language: req.language,
-        },
-      });
-
-      newUser.registeredThrough = req.headers['x-client']; // TODO is this saved somewhere?
-
       return newUser.save();
     })
     .then((savedUser) => {
diff --git a/website/src/models/user.js b/website/src/models/user.js
index aff9fb0483..f4810bae01 100644
--- a/website/src/models/user.js
+++ b/website/src/models/user.js
@@ -609,7 +609,7 @@ function _setProfileName (user) {
   return localUsername || facebookUsername || anonymous;
 }
 
-schema.pre('save', function postSaveUser (next) {
+schema.pre('validate', function beforeValidateUser (next) {
   // Validate the auth path (doesn't work with schema.path('auth').validate)
   if (!this.auth.facebook.id) {
     if (!this.auth.local.email) {
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ schema.pre('save', function postSaveUser (next) {
       return next();
     }
 
-    if (!this.auth.local.email) {
+    if (!this.auth.local.username) {
       this.invalidate('auth.local.username', shared.i18n.t('missingUsername'));
       return next();
     }
@@ -638,6 +638,10 @@ schema.pre('save', function postSaveUser (next) {
     this.hashed_password = passwordUtils.encrypt(this.auth.local.password, this.auth.local.salt); // eslint-disable-line camelcase
   }
 
+  next();
+});
+
+schema.pre('save', function postSaveUser (next) {
   // Do not store password and passwordConfirmation
   this.auth.local.password = this.local.auth.passwordConfirmation = undefined;