diff --git a/app/models/profile.rb b/app/models/profile.rb
index 8848cd823..145732d7c 100644
--- a/app/models/profile.rb
+++ b/app/models/profile.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ class Profile
   key :bio,        String
 
   after_validation :strip_names
+  validates_length_of :first_name, :maximum => 32
+  validates_length_of :last_name, :maximum => 32
 
   before_save :strip_names
 
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index f15f0e2ae..1f1333e56 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -40,8 +40,11 @@ class User
   validates_presence_of :username
   validates_uniqueness_of :username, :case_sensitive => false
   validates_format_of :username, :with => /\A[A-Za-z0-9_.]+\z/ 
-  validates_presence_of :person, :unless => proc {|user| user.invitation_token.present?}
+  validates_length_of :username, :maximum => 32
+  
   validates_inclusion_of :language, :in => AVAILABLE_LANGUAGE_CODES
+
+  validates_presence_of :person, :unless => proc {|user| user.invitation_token.present?}
   validates_associated :person
 
   one :person, :class_name => 'Person', :foreign_key => :owner_id
diff --git a/spec/models/profile_spec.rb b/spec/models/profile_spec.rb
index fed124726..728fc4c3d 100644
--- a/spec/models/profile_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/profile_spec.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ describe Profile do
         profile.should be_valid
         profile.first_name.should == "Shelly"
       end
+      
+      it "can be 32 characters long" do
+        profile = Factory.build(:profile, :first_name => "Hexagoooooooooooooooooooooooooon")
+        profile.should be_valid
+      end
+      
+      it "cannot be 33 characters" do
+        profile = Factory.build(:profile, :first_name => "Hexagooooooooooooooooooooooooooon")
+        profile.should_not be_valid
+      end
     end
     describe "of last_name" do
       it "strips leading and trailing whitespace" do
@@ -19,6 +29,16 @@ describe Profile do
         profile.should be_valid
         profile.last_name.should == "Ohba"
       end
+      
+      it "can be 32 characters long" do
+        profile = Factory.build(:profile, :last_name => "Hexagoooooooooooooooooooooooooon")
+        profile.should be_valid
+      end
+      
+      it "cannot be 33 characters" do
+        profile = Factory.build(:profile, :last_name => "Hexagooooooooooooooooooooooooooon")
+        profile.should_not be_valid
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 9449c4cdb..077224674 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -106,6 +106,16 @@ describe User do
         user = Factory.build(:user, :username => "kittens;")
         user.should_not be_valid
       end
+      
+      it "can be 32 characters long" do
+        user = Factory.build(:user, :username => "hexagoooooooooooooooooooooooooon")
+        user.should be_valid
+      end
+      
+      it "cannot be 33 characters" do
+        user = Factory.build(:user, :username => "hexagooooooooooooooooooooooooooon")
+        user.should_not be_valid
+      end
     end
 
     describe "of email" do