diff --git a/app/logical/user_name_validator.rb b/app/logical/user_name_validator.rb
index 4ac8368e9..0bffa0fa7 100644
--- a/app/logical/user_name_validator.rb
+++ b/app/logical/user_name_validator.rb
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ class UserNameValidator < ActiveModel::EachValidator
 
   def validate_each(rec, attr, name)
     forbidden_characters = name.delete(ALLOWED_PUNCTUATION).chars.grep(/[[:punct:]]/).uniq
+    current_user = rec.is_a?(UserNameChangeRequest) ? rec.user : rec
 
-    if rec.new_record? && User.find_by_name(name).present?
-      rec.errors.add(attr, "already exists")
+    if User.without(current_user).find_by_name(name).present?
+      rec.errors.add(attr, "already taken")
     elsif name.length <= 1
       rec.errors.add(attr, "must be more than 1 character long")
     elsif name.length >= 25
diff --git a/test/unit/user_name_change_request_test.rb b/test/unit/user_name_change_request_test.rb
index cb0218c66..14aafc648 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_name_change_request_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_name_change_request_test.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ require 'test_helper'
 class UserNameChangeRequestTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   context "in all cases" do
     setup do
-      @admin = FactoryBot.create(:admin_user)
-      @requester = FactoryBot.create(:user)
+      @admin = create(:admin_user)
+      @requester = create(:user, name: "provence")
     end
 
     context "creating a new request" do
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ class UserNameChangeRequestTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
       should "not validate if the desired name already exists" do
         assert_difference("UserNameChangeRequest.count", 0) do
-          req = build(:user_name_change_request, user: @requester, original_name: @requester.name, desired_name: @requester.name)
+          user = create(:user)
+          req = build(:user_name_change_request, user: user, original_name: user.name, desired_name: @requester.name)
           req.valid?
 
-          assert_equal(["Desired name already exists"], req.errors.full_messages)
+          assert_equal(["Desired name already taken"], req.errors.full_messages)
         end
       end
 
@@ -27,6 +28,12 @@ class UserNameChangeRequestTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
         assert_equal("Provence", @requester.name)
       end
+
+      should "allow the user to change the case of their name" do
+        uncr = create(:user_name_change_request, user: @requester, original_name: "provence", desired_name: "Provence")
+
+        assert_equal("Provence", @requester.name)
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/user_test.rb b/test/unit/user_test.rb
index 820d3ab3e..9fb64346d 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_test.rb
@@ -151,6 +151,13 @@ class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         assert_equal(["Name can't contain whitespace"], user.errors.full_messages)
       end
 
+      should "not conflict with an existing name" do
+        create(:user, name: "bkub")
+        user = build(:user, name: "BKUB")
+        user.save
+        assert_equal(["Name already taken"], user.errors.full_messages)
+      end
+
       should "be less than 25 characters long" do
         user = build(:user, name: "a"*25)
         user.save