diff --git a/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb
index 171042958..14a7b51de 100644
--- a/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/registrations_controller.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class RegistrationsController < Devise::RegistrationsController
     if @user.save
       flash[:notice] = I18n.t 'registrations.create.success'
       @user.seed_aspects
+      Role.add_beta(@user.person) if invite.present? && invite.beta?
       sign_in_and_redirect(:user, @user)
       Rails.logger.info("event=registration status=successful user=#{@user.diaspora_handle}")
     else
diff --git a/app/models/invitation_code.rb b/app/models/invitation_code.rb
index 21bb1a74e..06313a7aa 100644
--- a/app/models/invitation_code.rb
+++ b/app/models/invitation_code.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ class InvitationCode < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   before_create :generate_token, :set_default_invite_count
 
+  delegate :beta?, :to => :user
   def to_param
     token 
   end
diff --git a/app/models/role.rb b/app/models/role.rb
index 96f89ce54..d995f9077 100644
--- a/app/models/role.rb
+++ b/app/models/role.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class Role < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def self.is_beta?(person)
-    find_by_person_id_and_name(person.id, 'beta')
+    find_by_person_id_and_name(person.id, 'beta').present?
   end
 
   def self.add_beta(person)
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 6c94eed82..83276d6d0 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
     ConversationVisibility.sum(:unread, :conditions => "person_id = #{self.person.id}")
   end
 
+  def beta?
+    Role.is_beta?(self.person)
+  end
+
   #@deprecated
   def ugly_accept_invitation_code
     begin
diff --git a/spec/controllers/registrations_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/registrations_controller_spec.rb
index 108ddd19d..4b02cd0f9 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/registrations_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/registrations_controller_spec.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ describe RegistrationsController do
     end
   end
 
+
+
   describe "#create" do
     context "with valid parameters" do
       before do
@@ -84,6 +86,12 @@ describe RegistrationsController do
         response.should be_redirect
         response.location.should match /^#{root_url}\??$/
       end
+
+      it 'with an invite code from a beta users, make the user beta' do
+        Role.add_beta(bob.person)
+        get :create, @valid_params.merge(:invite => {:token => bob.invitation_code.token})
+        User.last.should be_beta
+      end
     end
 
     context "with invalid parameters" do
diff --git a/spec/models/invitation_code_spec.rb b/spec/models/invitation_code_spec.rb
index 18d949f98..c902c6c36 100644
--- a/spec/models/invitation_code_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/invitation_code_spec.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ describe InvitationCode do
     end
   end
 
+  describe '.beta?' do
+    it 'returns true if the invite code user is beta' do
+      code = Factory(:invitation_code)
+      Role.add_beta(code.user.person)
+      code.user.should be_beta
+      code.should be_beta
+    end
+  end
+
+
   describe '.default_inviter_or' do
     before do
       @old_account = AppConfig[:admin_account]