diff --git a/oc-chef-pedant/spec/api/user_spec.rb b/oc-chef-pedant/spec/api/user_spec.rb
index fb73b54a92..b4eab6223f 100644
--- a/oc-chef-pedant/spec/api/user_spec.rb
+++ b/oc-chef-pedant/spec/api/user_spec.rb
@@ -415,6 +415,83 @@
           end
         end
 
+        context "with a blank middle name" do
+          let(:request_body) do
+            {
+              "username" => username,
+              "email" => "#{username}@chef.io",
+              "display_name" => username,
+              "password" => "badger badger",
+              "first_name" => username,
+              "last_name" => username,
+              "middle_name" => "",
+            }
+          end
+
+          it "can create new user" do
+            post(request_url, platform.superuser,
+              :payload => request_body).should look_like({
+                :status => 201,
+                :body_exact => response_body
+              })
+            get(request_url, platform.superuser).should look_like({
+                :status => 200,
+                :body => users_with_new_user
+              })
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "with a blank first name" do
+          let(:request_body) do
+            {
+              "username" => username,
+              "email" => "#{username}@chef.io",
+              "display_name" => username,
+              "password" => "badger badger",
+              "first_name" => "",
+              "last_name" => username,
+              "middle_name" => username,
+            }
+          end
+
+          it "can create new user" do
+            post(request_url, platform.superuser,
+              :payload => request_body).should look_like({
+                :status => 201,
+                :body_exact => response_body
+              })
+            get(request_url, platform.superuser).should look_like({
+                :status => 200,
+                :body => users_with_new_user
+              })
+          end
+        end
+
+        context "with a blank last name" do
+          let(:request_body) do
+            {
+              "username" => username,
+              "email" => "#{username}@chef.io",
+              "display_name" => username,
+              "password" => "badger badger",
+              "first_name" => username,
+              "last_name" => "",
+              "middle_name" => username,
+            }
+          end
+
+          it "can create new user" do
+            post(request_url, platform.superuser,
+              :payload => request_body).should look_like({
+                :status => 201,
+                :body_exact => response_body
+              })
+            get(request_url, platform.superuser).should look_like({
+                :status => 200,
+                :body => users_with_new_user
+              })
+          end
+        end
         context "without email" do
           let(:request_body) do
             {
diff --git a/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/src/chef_regex.erl b/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/src/chef_regex.erl
index a9e43642ae..8a235ee196 100644
--- a/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/src/chef_regex.erl
+++ b/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/src/chef_regex.erl
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@
 -define(USERNAME_REGEX, "[a-z0-9\-_]+").
 
 %% Validation regex for various names
--define(HUMAN_NAME_REGEX, "[[:word:][:digit:]!'. -]+").
+-define(REQUIRED_NAME_REGEX, "[[:word:][:digit:]!'. -]+").
+
+%% Validation regex for various names that can be empty.
+-define(OPTIONAL_NAME_REGEX, "[[:word:][:digit:]!'. -]*").
 
 %% Non-blank string regex
 -define(NON_BLANK_REGEX, ".+").
@@ -171,16 +174,16 @@ regex_for(user_name) ->
    generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?USERNAME_REGEX),
                             <<"Malformed user name. Must only contain a-z, 0-9, _, or -">>);
 regex_for(first_name) ->
-   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?HUMAN_NAME_REGEX),
+   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?OPTIONAL_NAME_REGEX),
                             <<"Denied first_name. Must only contain word characters, digits, ', or .">>, [unicode, ucp]);
 regex_for(middle_name) ->
-   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?HUMAN_NAME_REGEX),
+   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?OPTIONAL_NAME_REGEX),
                             <<"Denied middle_name. Must only contain word characters, digits, ', or .">>, [unicode, ucp]);
 regex_for(last_name) ->
-   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?HUMAN_NAME_REGEX),
+   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?OPTIONAL_NAME_REGEX),
                             <<"Denied last_name. Must only contain word characters, digits, ', or .">>, [unicode, ucp]);
 regex_for(display_name) ->
-   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?HUMAN_NAME_REGEX),
+   generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?REQUIRED_NAME_REGEX),
                             <<"Denied display_name. Must only contain word characters, digits, ', or .">>, [unicode, ucp]);
 regex_for(non_blank_string) ->
    generate_regex_msg_tuple(?ANCHOR_REGEX(?NON_BLANK_REGEX), <<"Field must have a non-empty string value">>);
diff --git a/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/test/chef_user_tests.erl b/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/test/chef_user_tests.erl
index 5a0efdf0b5..85bb671375 100644
--- a/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/test/chef_user_tests.erl
+++ b/src/oc_erchef/apps/chef_objects/test/chef_user_tests.erl
@@ -180,6 +180,46 @@ parse_binary_json_tests(Version) ->
                 ?assertEqual(lists:sort(MinValid), lists:sort(GotData))
       end
      },
+     {?VD("Can create user with empty first name"),
+      fun() ->
+                UserEJson = make_min_valid_create_user_ejson() ++ [{<<"first_name">>, <<>>},
+                                                                   {<<"last_name">>, <<"Bobson">>},
+                                                                   {<<"middle_name">>, <<"Joe">>}],
+                UserJson = chef_json:encode({UserEJson}),
+                {ok, {GotData}} = chef_user:parse_binary_json(Version, UserJson, create, undefined),
+                ?assertEqual(lists:sort(UserEJson), lists:sort(GotData))
+      end
+     },
+     {?VD("Can create user with empty last name"),
+      fun() ->
+                UserEJson = make_min_valid_create_user_ejson() ++ [{<<"first_name">>, <<"Alice">>},
+                                                                   {<<"last_name">>, <<>>},
+                                                                   {<<"middle_name">>, <<"Joe">>}],
+                UserJson = chef_json:encode({UserEJson}),
+                {ok, {GotData}} = chef_user:parse_binary_json(Version, UserJson, create, undefined),
+                ?assertEqual(lists:sort(UserEJson), lists:sort(GotData))
+      end
+     },
+     {?VD("Can create user with empty middle name"),
+      fun() ->
+                UserEJson = make_min_valid_create_user_ejson() ++ [{<<"first_name">>, <<"Alice">>},
+                                                                   {<<"last_name">>, <<"Bobson">>},
+                                                                   {<<"middle_name">>, <<>>}],
+                UserJson = chef_json:encode({UserEJson}),
+                {ok, {GotData}} = chef_user:parse_binary_json(Version, UserJson, create, undefined),
+                ?assertEqual(lists:sort(UserEJson), lists:sort(GotData))
+      end
+     },
+     {?VD("Can create user with all required fields and first, middle, and last names"),
+      fun() ->
+                UserEJson = make_min_valid_create_user_ejson() ++ [{<<"first_name">>, <<"Alice">>},
+                                                                   {<<"last_name">>, <<"Bobson">>},
+                                                                   {<<"middle_name">>, <<"Joe">>}],
+                UserJson = chef_json:encode({UserEJson}),
+                {ok, {GotData}} = chef_user:parse_binary_json(Version, UserJson, create, undefined),
+                ?assertEqual(lists:sort(UserEJson), lists:sort(GotData))
+      end
+     },
      {?VD("Can create user when external auth uid is present"),
       fun() ->
                 MinValid = make_external_auth_create_user_ejson(),