diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 0edf48210cc..bd1c6635c8a 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -131,11 +131,12 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def change_username(new_username)
+    current_username = self.username
     self.username = new_username
 
     if SiteSetting.call_mothership? and self.valid?
       begin
-        Mothership.register_nickname( self.username, self.email )
+        Mothership.change_nickname( current_username, new_username )
       rescue Mothership::NicknameUnavailable
         return false
       rescue => e
diff --git a/lib/mothership.rb b/lib/mothership.rb
index e5e78edccf0..26a126fdc01 100644
--- a/lib/mothership.rb
+++ b/lib/mothership.rb
@@ -19,10 +19,20 @@ module Mothership
     if json.has_key?('success')
       true
     else
-      raise NicknameUnavailable  # json['failed'] == -200
+      raise NicknameUnavailable  # TODO: report ALL the errors
     end
   end
 
+  def self.change_nickname(current_nickname, new_nickname)
+    json = put("/users/#{current_nickname}/nickname", {nickname: new_nickname})
+    if json.has_key?('success')
+      true
+    else
+      raise NicknameUnavailable  # TODO: report ALL the errors
+    end
+  end
+
+
   def self.current_discourse_version
     get('/current_version')['version']
   end
@@ -40,6 +50,11 @@ module Mothership
     JSON.parse(response)
   end
 
+  def self.put(rel_url, params={})
+    response = RestClient.put( "#{mothership_base_url}#{rel_url}", {access_token: access_token}.merge(params), content_type: :json, accept: accepts )
+    JSON.parse(response)
+  end
+
   def self.mothership_base_url
     if Rails.env == 'production'
       'http://api.discourse.org/api'
diff --git a/spec/components/mothership_spec.rb b/spec/components/mothership_spec.rb
index cd8575e8b6a..9b2a2ec3bd6 100644
--- a/spec/components/mothership_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/mothership_spec.rb
@@ -61,4 +61,34 @@ describe Mothership do
       Mothership.current_discourse_version().should == 1.0
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#change_nickname' do
+    it 'should return true when nickname is changed successfully' do
+      RestClient.stubs(:put).returns( {success: 'OK'}.to_json )
+      Mothership.change_nickname('MacGyver', 'MacG').should be_true
+    end
+
+    it 'should return raise NicknameUnavailable when nickname is not available' do
+      RestClient.stubs(:put).returns( {failed: -200}.to_json )
+      expect {
+        Mothership.change_nickname('MacGyver', 'MacG')
+      }.to raise_error(Mothership::NicknameUnavailable)
+    end
+
+    # TODO: General error handling in mothership.rb
+
+    # it 'should return raise NicknameUnavailable when nickname does not belong to this forum' do
+    #   RestClient.stubs(:put).returns( {failed: -13}.to_json )
+    #   expect {
+    #     Mothership.change_nickname('MacGyver', 'MacG')
+    #   }.to raise_error(Mothership::ActionForbidden)
+    # end
+
+    # it 'should return raise NicknameUnavailable when nickname does not belong to this forum' do
+    #   RestClient.stubs(:put).returns( {failed: -13}.to_json )
+    #   expect {
+    #     Mothership.change_nickname('MacGyver', 'MacG')
+    #   }.to raise_error(Mothership::ActionForbidden)
+    # end
+  end
 end