diff --git a/rowers/interactiveplots.py b/rowers/interactiveplots.py
index 8f8715e1..25a181c2 100644
--- a/rowers/interactiveplots.py
+++ b/rowers/interactiveplots.py
@@ -236,7 +236,10 @@ def interactive_activitychart(workouts,startdate,enddate,stack='type'):
             dates.append(dd)
             durations.append(du)
             types.append(w.workouttype)
-            rowers.append(w.user.user.first_name[0]+w.user.user.last_name[0])
+            try:
+                rowers.append(w.user.user.first_name[0]+w.user.user.last_name[0])
+            except IndexError:
+                rowers.append(str(w.user))
 
     try:
         d = utc.localize(startdate)
diff --git a/rowers/models.py b/rowers/models.py
index 3ca03ad9..2fa222f5 100644
--- a/rowers/models.py
+++ b/rowers/models.py
@@ -987,6 +987,14 @@ class UserForm(ModelForm):
         model = User
         fields = ['first_name','last_name','email']
 
+    def clean_first_name(self):
+        first_name = self.cleaned_data.get('first_name')
+
+        if len(first_name):
+            return first_name
+
+        raise forms.ValidationError('Please fill in your first name')
+        
     def clean_email(self):
         email = self.cleaned_data.get('email')
 
diff --git a/templates/basebase.html b/templates/basebase.html
index deca65f2..2a97d27c 100644
--- a/templates/basebase.html
+++ b/templates/basebase.html
@@ -117,7 +117,11 @@
 	    <div class="grid_1 tooltip">
 	      {% if user.is_authenticated %}
 	      <p>
+                {% if user.first_name %}
 	        <a class="button gray small" href="/rowers/me/edit">{{ user.first_name }}</a>
+                {% else %}
+                <a class="button gray small" href="/rowers/me/edit">{{ user }}</a>
+                {% endif %}
 	      </p>
 	      <span class="tooltiptext">Edit user account, e.g. heart rate zones, power zones, email, teams</span>