diff --git a/core/achievement.js b/core/achievement.js
index d73372ca..b28bb1b8 100644
--- a/core/achievement.js
+++ b/core/achievement.js
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ class Achievements {
     getFormatObject(info) {
         return {
             userName: info.user.username,
-            userRealName: info.user.properties[UserProps.RealName],
+            userRealName: info.user.realName(),
             userLocation: info.user.properties[UserProps.Location],
             userAffils: info.user.properties[UserProps.Affiliations],
             nodeId: info.client.node,
diff --git a/core/client_connections.js b/core/client_connections.js
index 3dbf0e45..a94f65b5 100644
--- a/core/client_connections.js
+++ b/core/client_connections.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function getActiveConnectionList(
         //
         entry.text = ac.user?.username || 'N/A';
         entry.userName = ac.user?.username || 'N/A';
-        entry.realName = ac.user?.getProperty(UserProps.RealName) || 'N/A';
+        entry.realName = ac.user?.realName() || 'N/A';
         entry.location = ac.user?.getProperty(UserProps.Location) || 'N/A';
         entry.affils = entry.affiliation =
             ac.user?.getProperty(UserProps.Affiliations) || 'N/A';
diff --git a/core/fse.js b/core/fse.js
index c5413989..6d883ba8 100644
--- a/core/fse.js
+++ b/core/fse.js
@@ -982,11 +982,7 @@ exports.FullScreenEditorModule =
                                     const area = getMessageAreaByTag(self.messageAreaTag);
                                     if (fromView !== undefined) {
                                         if (area && area.realNames) {
-                                            fromView.setText(
-                                                self.client.user.properties[
-                                                    UserProps.RealName
-                                                ] || self.client.user.username
-                                            );
+                                            fromView.setText(self.client.user.realName());
                                         } else {
                                             fromView.setText(self.client.user.username);
                                         }
diff --git a/core/my_messages.js b/core/my_messages.js
index 50bba7ae..a50a6884 100644
--- a/core/my_messages.js
+++ b/core/my_messages.js
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@ exports.getModule = class MyMessagesModule extends MenuModule {
 
     initSequence() {
         const filter = {
-            toUserName: [
-                this.client.user.username,
-                this.client.user.getProperty(UserProps.RealName),
-            ],
+            toUserName: [this.client.user.username, this.client.user.realName()],
             sort: 'modTimestamp',
             resultType: 'messageList',
             limit: 1024 * 16, //  we want some sort of limit...
diff --git a/core/nua.js b/core/nua.js
index 4f6f355d..9eabc232 100644
--- a/core/nua.js
+++ b/core/nua.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const UserProps = require('./user_property.js');
 
 //  deps
 const _ = require('lodash');
+const moment = require('moment');
 
 exports.moduleInfo = {
     name: 'NUA',
@@ -95,15 +96,15 @@ exports.getModule = class NewUserAppModule extends MenuModule {
                 areaTag = areaTag || '';
 
                 newUser.properties = {
-                    [UserProps.RealName]: formData.value.realName,
+                    [UserProps.RealName]: formData.value.realName || '',
                     [UserProps.Birthdate]: getISOTimestampString(
-                        formData.value.birthdate
+                        formData.value.birthdate || moment()
                     ),
-                    [UserProps.Sex]: formData.value.sex,
-                    [UserProps.Location]: formData.value.location,
-                    [UserProps.Affiliations]: formData.value.affils,
-                    [UserProps.EmailAddress]: formData.value.email,
-                    [UserProps.WebAddress]: formData.value.web,
+                    [UserProps.Sex]: formData.value.sex || '',
+                    [UserProps.Location]: formData.value.location || '',
+                    [UserProps.Affiliations]: formData.value.affils || '',
+                    [UserProps.EmailAddress]: formData.value.email || '',
+                    [UserProps.WebAddress]: formData.value.web || '',
                     [UserProps.AccountCreated]: getISOTimestampString(),
 
                     [UserProps.MessageConfTag]: confTag,
diff --git a/core/user.js b/core/user.js
index 58cf69d9..aac33ef2 100644
--- a/core/user.js
+++ b/core/user.js
@@ -124,9 +124,12 @@ module.exports = class User {
         return isMember;
     }
 
+    realName() {
+        return this.getProperty(UserProps.RealName) || this.username;
+    }
+
     getSanitizedName(type = 'username') {
-        const name =
-            'real' === type ? this.getProperty(UserProps.RealName) : this.username;
+        const name = 'real' === type ? this.realName() : this.username;
         return sanatizeFilename(name) || `user${this.userId.toString()}`;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/user_2fa_otp_web_register.js b/core/user_2fa_otp_web_register.js
index edae1d5b..735b6f36 100644
--- a/core/user_2fa_otp_web_register.js
+++ b/core/user_2fa_otp_web_register.js
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ module.exports = class User2FA_OTPWebRegister {
                     }
 
                     const message = {
-                        to: `${
-                            user.getProperty(UserProps.RealName) || user.username
-                        } <${user.getProperty(UserProps.EmailAddress)}>`,
+                        to: `${user.realName()} <${user.getProperty(
+                            UserProps.EmailAddress
+                        )}>`,
                         //  from will be filled in
                         subject: '2-Factor Authentication Registration',
                         text: textTemplate,
diff --git a/core/user_config.js b/core/user_config.js
index a612e95c..63bfdc16 100644
--- a/core/user_config.js
+++ b/core/user_config.js
@@ -115,15 +115,15 @@ exports.getModule = class UserConfigModule extends MenuModule {
                 formData = _.clone(formData);
 
                 const newProperties = {
-                    [UserProps.RealName]: formData.value.realName,
+                    [UserProps.RealName]: formData.value.realName || '',
                     [UserProps.Birthdate]: getISOTimestampString(
-                        formData.value.birthdate
+                        formData.value.birthdate || moment()
                     ),
-                    [UserProps.Sex]: formData.value.sex,
-                    [UserProps.Location]: formData.value.location,
-                    [UserProps.Affiliations]: formData.value.affils,
-                    [UserProps.EmailAddress]: formData.value.email,
-                    [UserProps.WebAddress]: formData.value.web,
+                    [UserProps.Sex]: formData.value.sex || '',
+                    [UserProps.Location]: formData.value.location || '',
+                    [UserProps.Affiliations]: formData.value.affils || '',
+                    [UserProps.EmailAddress]: formData.value.email || '',
+                    [UserProps.WebAddress]: formData.value.web || '',
                     [UserProps.TermHeight]: formData.value.termHeight.toString(),
                     [UserProps.ThemeId]:
                         self.availThemeInfo[formData.value.theme].themeId,
@@ -233,11 +233,7 @@ exports.getModule = class UserConfigModule extends MenuModule {
                     function populateViews(callback) {
                         const user = self.client.user;
 
-                        self.setViewText(
-                            'menu',
-                            MciCodeIds.RealName,
-                            user.properties[UserProps.RealName]
-                        );
+                        self.setViewText('menu', MciCodeIds.RealName, user.realName());
                         self.setViewText(
                             'menu',
                             MciCodeIds.BirthDate,
diff --git a/core/web_password_reset.js b/core/web_password_reset.js
index dbc4f88d..757a1983 100644
--- a/core/web_password_reset.js
+++ b/core/web_password_reset.js
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class WebPasswordReset {
                     }
 
                     const message = {
-                        to: `${user.properties[UserProps.RealName] || user.username} <${
+                        to: `${user.realName()} <${
                             user.properties[UserProps.EmailAddress]
                         }>`,
                         //  from will be filled in
diff --git a/core/wfc.js b/core/wfc.js
index 749593ab..eca853f0 100644
--- a/core/wfc.js
+++ b/core/wfc.js
@@ -506,9 +506,7 @@ exports.getModule = class WaitingForCallerModule extends MenuModule {
 
             //  Current
             currentUserName: this.client.user.username,
-            currentUserRealName:
-                this.client.user.getProperty(UserProps.RealName) ||
-                this.client.user.username,
+            currentUserRealName: this.client.user.realName(),
             availIndicator: availIndicator,
             visIndicator: visIndicator,
             lastLoginUserName: lastLoginStats.userName,