diff --git a/server/public/model/user.go b/server/public/model/user.go
index b01e667c5d8..4bbe1808d3e 100644
--- a/server/public/model/user.go
+++ b/server/public/model/user.go
@@ -976,8 +976,7 @@ func HashPassword(password string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 var validUsernameChars = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z0-9\.\-_]+$`)
-var validUsername = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z][a-z0-9\.\-_]*$`)
-var validUsernameCharsForRemote = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z][a-z0-9\.\-_:]*$`)
+var validUsernameCharsForRemote = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z0-9\.\-_:]*$`)
 
 var restrictedUsernames = map[string]struct{}{
 	"all":       {},
@@ -991,7 +990,7 @@ func IsValidUsername(s string) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	if !validUsername.MatchString(s) {
+	if !validUsernameChars.MatchString(s) {
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/server/public/model/user_test.go b/server/public/model/user_test.go
index 927b8f22424..b870a7018c0 100644
--- a/server/public/model/user_test.go
+++ b/server/public/model/user_test.go
@@ -431,9 +431,9 @@ var usernames = []usernamesTest{
 	{"spin-punch", true, true},
 	{"sp", true, true},
 	{"s", true, true},
-	{"1spin-punch", false, false},
-	{"-spin-punch", false, false},
-	{".spin-punch", false, false},
+	{"1spin-punch", true, true},
+	{"-spin-punch", true, true},
+	{".spin-punch", true, true},
 	{"Spin-punch", false, false},
 	{"spin punch-", false, false},
 	{"spin_punch", true, true},