diff --git a/app/services/user_updater.rb b/app/services/user_updater.rb
index d2e92f63086..ade3e97db9f 100644
--- a/app/services/user_updater.rb
+++ b/app/services/user_updater.rb
@@ -62,8 +62,13 @@ class UserUpdater
     user.locale = attributes.fetch(:locale) { user.locale }
     user.date_of_birth = attributes.fetch(:date_of_birth) { user.date_of_birth }
 
-    if guardian.can_grant_title?(user)
-      user.title = attributes.fetch(:title) { user.title }
+    if attributes[:title] &&
+      attributes[:title] != user.title &&
+      guardian.can_grant_title?(user, attributes[:title])
+      user.title = attributes[:title]
+      if user.badges.where(name: user.title).exists?
+        user_profile.badge_granted_title = true
+      end
     end
 
     CATEGORY_IDS.each do |attribute, level|
diff --git a/lib/guardian.rb b/lib/guardian.rb
index d7b3e3fe93f..baa26363aa3 100644
--- a/lib/guardian.rb
+++ b/lib/guardian.rb
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ class Guardian
 
   def can_grant_title?(user, title = nil)
     return true if user && is_staff?
+    return false if title.nil?
     return false if user != @user
     return true if user.badges.where(name: title, allow_title: true).exists?
     user.groups.where(title: title).exists?
diff --git a/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb b/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb
index a65004ed7e3..14d820d488e 100644
--- a/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/user_updater_spec.rb
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ describe UserUpdater do
       it 'allows user to change title' do
         user = Fabricate(:user, title: 'Emperor')
         guardian = stub
-        guardian.stubs(:can_grant_title?).with(user).returns(true)
+        guardian.stubs(:can_grant_title?).with(user, 'Minion').returns(true)
         Guardian.stubs(:new).with(acting_user).returns(guardian)
         updater = UserUpdater.new(acting_user, user)
 
@@ -169,11 +169,63 @@ describe UserUpdater do
       end
     end
 
+    context 'title is from a badge' do
+      let(:user) { Fabricate(:user, title: 'Emperor') }
+      let(:badge) { Fabricate(:badge, name: 'Minion') }
+
+      context 'badge can be used as a title' do
+        before do
+          badge.update_attributes(allow_title: true)
+        end
+
+        it 'can use as title, sets badge_granted_title' do
+          BadgeGranter.grant(badge, user)
+          updater = UserUpdater.new(user, user)
+          updater.update(title: badge.name)
+          user.reload
+          expect(user.user_profile.badge_granted_title).to eq(true)
+        end
+
+        it 'badge has not been granted, does not change title' do
+          badge.update_attributes(allow_title: true)
+          updater = UserUpdater.new(user, user)
+          updater.update(title: badge.name)
+          user.reload
+          expect(user.title).not_to eq(badge.name)
+          expect(user.user_profile.badge_granted_title).to eq(false)
+        end
+
+        it 'changing to a title that is not from a badge, unsets badge_granted_title' do
+          user.update_attributes(title: badge.name)
+          user.user_profile.update_attributes(badge_granted_title: true)
+
+          guardian = stub
+          guardian.stubs(:can_grant_title?).with(user, 'Dancer').returns(true)
+          Guardian.stubs(:new).with(user).returns(guardian)
+
+          updater = UserUpdater.new(user, user)
+          updater.update(title: 'Dancer')
+          user.reload
+          expect(user.title).to eq('Dancer')
+          expect(user.user_profile.badge_granted_title).to eq(false)
+        end
+      end
+
+      it 'cannot use as title, does not change title' do
+        BadgeGranter.grant(badge, user)
+        updater = UserUpdater.new(user, user)
+        updater.update(title: badge.name)
+        user.reload
+        expect(user.title).not_to eq(badge.name)
+        expect(user.user_profile.badge_granted_title).to eq(false)
+      end
+    end
+
     context 'without permission to update title' do
       it 'does not allow user to change title' do
         user = Fabricate(:user, title: 'Emperor')
         guardian = stub
-        guardian.stubs(:can_grant_title?).with(user).returns(false)
+        guardian.stubs(:can_grant_title?).with(user, 'Minion').returns(false)
         Guardian.stubs(:new).with(acting_user).returns(guardian)
         updater = UserUpdater.new(acting_user, user)