diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-field-item.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-field-item.js.es6
index 9a320ad12b7..f2ea7d74619 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-field-item.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-field-item.js.es6
@@ -13,14 +13,18 @@ export default Ember.ObjectController.extend(BufferedContent, {
     save: function() {
       var self = this;
 
-      var attrs = this.get('buffered').getProperties('name', 'field_type', 'editable');
+      var attrs = this.get('buffered').getProperties('name', 'description', 'field_type', 'editable');
 
       this.get('model').save(attrs).then(function(res) {
         self.set('model.id', res.user_field.id);
         self.set('editing', false);
         self.commitBuffer();
-      }).catch(function() {
-        bootbox.alert(I18n.t('generic_error'));
+      }).catch(function(e) {
+        var msg = I18n.t("generic_error");
+        if (e.responseJSON && e.responseJSON.errors) {
+          msg = I18n.t("generic_error_with_reason", {error: e.responseJSON.errors.join('. ')});
+        }
+        bootbox.alert(msg);
       });
     },
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-fields.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-fields.js.es6
index 0d66804896b..6ccf0810cf4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-fields.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/controllers/admin-user-fields.js.es6
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ import UserField from 'admin/models/user-field';
 export default Ember.ArrayController.extend({
   fieldTypes: null,
   createDisabled: Em.computed.gte('model.length', 3),
+
+  userFieldsDescription: function() {
+    return I18n.t('admin.user_fields.description');
+  }.property(),
+
   userFieldsName: function() {
     return I18n.t('admin.user_fields.name');
   }.property(),
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user-fields.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user-fields.hbs
index 4be318ae86a..bb890d75fd8 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user-fields.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/admin/templates/user-fields.hbs
@@ -1,28 +1,36 @@
 <div class='user-fields'>
   <h2>{{i18n admin.user_fields.title}}</h2>
 
-  <p class="desc">{{i18n admin.user_fields.description}}</p>
+  <p class="desc">{{i18n admin.user_fields.help}}</p>
 
   {{#if model}}
     {{#each f in model itemController="admin-user-field-item" itemView="admin-user-field-item"}}
       {{#if f.editing}}
-        <div class='form-element'>
-          {{input value=f.buffered.name class="user-field-name" placeholder=userFieldsName}}
+        <div class='row'>
+          <div class='form-element'>
+            {{input value=f.buffered.name class="user-field-name" placeholder=userFieldsName}}
+          </div>
+          <div class='form-element'>
+            {{combo-box content=fieldTypes valueAttribute="id" value=f.buffered.field_type}}
+          </div>
+          <div class='form-element'>
+            <label>
+              {{input type="checkbox" checked=f.buffered.editable}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.editable.title}}
+            </label>
+          </div>
+          <div class='form-element controls'>
+            <button {{action "save"}}class='btn btn-primary'>{{fa-icon 'check'}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.save}}</button>
+            <button {{action "cancel"}} class='btn btn-danger'>{{fa-icon 'times'}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.cancel}}</button>
+          </div>
         </div>
-        <div class='form-element'>
-          {{combo-box content=fieldTypes valueAttribute="id" value=f.buffered.field_type}}
-        </div>
-        <div class='form-element'>
-          <label>
-            {{input type="checkbox" checked=f.buffered.editable}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.editable.title}}
-          </label>
-        </div>
-        <div class='form-element controls'>
-          <button {{action "save"}}class='btn btn-primary'>{{fa-icon 'check'}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.save}}</button>
-          <button {{action "cancel"}} class='btn btn-danger'>{{fa-icon 'times'}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.cancel}}</button>
+        <div class="row">
+          <div class='form-element'>
+            {{input value=f.buffered.description class="user-field-desc" placeholder=userFieldsDescription}}
+          </div>
         </div>
       {{else}}
-        <div class='form-display'>{{f.name}}</div>
+        <div class="row">
+        <div class='form-display'><strong>{{f.name}}</strong></div>
         <div class='form-display'>{{f.fieldName}}</div>
         <div class='form-display'>
           {{#if f.editable}}
@@ -35,6 +43,11 @@
           <button {{action "edit"}}class='btn btn-default'>{{fa-icon 'pencil'}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.edit}}</button>
           <button {{action "destroy"}}class='btn btn-danger'>{{fa-icon 'trash-o'}} {{i18n admin.user_fields.delete}}</button>
         </div>
+      </div>
+      <div class="row">
+        {{f.description}}
+      </div>
+
       {{/if}}
       <div class='clearfix'></div>
     {{/each}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-field.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-field.js.es6
index ab345644e39..a1c6f56b4dd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-field.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-field.js.es6
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 export default Ember.Component.extend({
-  classNameBindings: [':user-field'],
+  classNameBindings: [':user-field', 'field.field_type'],
   layoutName: function() {
     return "components/user-fields/" + this.get('field.field_type');
   }.property('field.field_type')
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6
index b0bea6e09e4..98a5f9a3ba3 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences.js.es6
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export default ObjectController.extend(CanCheckEmails, {
     var siteUserFields = this.site.get('user_fields');
     if (!Ember.empty(siteUserFields)) {
       var userFields = this.get('user_fields');
-      return siteUserFields.filterProperty('editable', true).map(function(uf) {
+      return siteUserFields.filterProperty('editable', true).sortBy('field_type').map(function(uf) {
         var val = userFields ? userFields[uf.get('id').toString()] : null;
         return Ember.Object.create({value: val, field: uf});
       });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/confirm.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/confirm.hbs
index 3e300a3792f..05d919e689f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/confirm.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/confirm.hbs
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-<label>
-  {{input checked=value type="checkbox"}} {{{field.name}}}
-</label>
+<div class='controls'>
+  <label>{{input checked=value type="checkbox"}} {{field.description}}</label>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/text.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/text.hbs
index 6d7234bc6a7..17ab874fe0a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/text.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-fields/text.hbs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-<label>
-  {{{field.name}}}
+<label>{{{field.name}}}</label>
+<div class='controls'>
   {{input value=value}}
-</label>
+  <p>{{field.description}}</p>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/create-account.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/create-account.hbs
index 77a46256479..85427673503 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/create-account.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/create-account.hbs
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
 
         </table>
 
+        {{log userFields}}
         {{#if userFields}}
           <div class='user-fields'>
             {{#each userFields}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.hbs
index 69b2adbdc32..9d71a07e183 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/preferences.hbs
@@ -179,13 +179,13 @@
         {{preference-checkbox labelKey="user.edit_history_public" checked=edit_history_public}}
       {{/unless}}
 
-      {{#each userFields}}
-        {{user-field field=field value=value}}
-      {{/each}}
-
       {{plugin-outlet "user_custom_preferences"}}
     </div>
 
+    {{#each userFields}}
+      {{user-field field=field value=value}}
+    {{/each}}
+
     <div class="control-group category">
       <label class="control-label">{{i18n user.categories_settings}}</label>
       <div class="controls category-controls">
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/login.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/login.scss
index 04c71d75c95..82d18416693 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/login.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/login.scss
@@ -12,27 +12,33 @@
   display: none;
 }
 
-
-.user-fields {
-
-  h3 {
-    line-height: 1.5em;
-    color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 20%);
-    border-bottom: 1px solid scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
-    margin-bottom: 20px;
+.create-account {
+  .user-field.confirm {
+    margin-top: 20px;
   }
 
   .user-field {
-    label: {
-      display: block;
+    label {
+      width: 92px;
+      float: left;
     }
     input[type=text] {
-      width: 80%;
-      display: block;
+      width: 220px;
+      margin-bottom: 0;
     }
-    input[type=checkbox] {
-      margin-right: 5px;
+    .controls {
+      margin-left: 92px;
+      label {
+        width: auto;
+        text-align: left;
+        font-weight: normal;
+        float: auto;
+      }
+      p {
+        color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
+        margin: 0;
+      }
     }
-    margin-bottom: 20px;
+    clear: both;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/login.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/login.scss
index 7678dcaffa1..0965f2f68c2 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/login.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/login.scss
@@ -59,4 +59,5 @@
   .tos-agree {
     margin-bottom: 12px;
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss
index cf0ab75c321..62bf6192a34 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@
   }
 }
 
+.form-horizontal .control-group.other {
+  margin-bottom: 0;
+}
+
+.form-horizontal .control-group.category {
+  margin-top: 18px;
+}
+
 .user-navigation {
   width: 21.62%;
   margin-right: 1.8018%;
@@ -427,12 +435,36 @@
     background-color: #c22020;
   }
 
+  .user-field.text {
+    padding-top: 18px;
+  }
+
   .user-field {
-    margin-left: 160px;
-    margin-top: 10px;
-    input[type=text] {
-      width: 540px;
-      display: block;
+    label {
+      width: 140px;
+      float: left;
+      text-align: right;
+      font-weight: bold;
     }
+    input[type=text] {
+      width: 530px;
+    }
+    .controls {
+      label {
+        width: auto;
+        text-align: left;
+        font-weight: normal;
+        float: auto;
+      }
+      p {
+        color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
+        margin-top: 5px;
+        margin-bottom: 10px;
+        font-size: 80%;
+        line-height: 1.4em;
+      }
+    }
+    clear: both;
+    margin-bottom: 10px;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/login.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/login.scss
index b2126cfebad..8b3ab15d218 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/login.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/mobile/login.scss
@@ -52,3 +52,23 @@ a#forgot-password-link {clear: left; float: left; }
     }
   }
 }
+
+.create-account {
+  .user-field.confirm {
+    margin-top: 10px;
+    margin-bottom: 10px;
+  }
+  .user-field {
+    margin-top: 10px;
+    label {
+      width: 85px;
+    }
+    input[type=text] {
+      margin-top: 0;
+      width: 184px;
+    }
+    .controls {
+      margin-left: 85px;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller.rb
index 99a95c46a1e..20774d92380 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 class Admin::UserFieldsController < Admin::AdminController
 
   def create
-    field = UserField.create!(params.require(:user_field).permit(:name, :field_type, :editable))
-    render_serialized(field, UserFieldSerializer)
+    field = UserField.new(params.require(:user_field).permit(:name, :field_type, :editable, :description))
+    json_result(field, serializer: UserFieldSerializer) do
+      field.save
+    end
   end
 
   def index
@@ -15,10 +17,12 @@ class Admin::UserFieldsController < Admin::AdminController
     field = UserField.where(id: params.require(:id)).first
     field.name = field_params[:name]
     field.field_type = field_params[:field_type]
+    field.description = field_params[:description]
     field.editable = field_params[:editable] == "true"
-    field.save!
 
-    render_serialized(field, UserFieldSerializer)
+    json_result(field, serializer: UserFieldSerializer) do
+      field.save
+    end
   end
 
   def destroy
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index a83c7e75bce..cbec75f73fa 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
       params[:custom_fields] ||= {}
       UserField.where(editable: true).pluck(:id).each do |fid|
         val = params[:user_fields][fid.to_s]
+        val = nil if val === "false"
         return render_json_error(I18n.t("login.missing_user_field")) if val.blank?
         params[:custom_fields]["user_field_#{fid}"] = val
       end
diff --git a/app/models/site.rb b/app/models/site.rb
index 84c69b807a6..bfe31fb6e76 100644
--- a/app/models/site.rb
+++ b/app/models/site.rb
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ class Site
       return {
         periods: TopTopic.periods.map(&:to_s),
         filters: Discourse.filters.map(&:to_s),
+        user_fields: UserField.all
       }.to_json
     end
 
diff --git a/app/models/user_field.rb b/app/models/user_field.rb
index f931af22504..55a85d2b229 100644
--- a/app/models/user_field.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_field.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 class UserField < ActiveRecord::Base
-  validates_presence_of :name, :field_type
+  validates_presence_of :name, :description, :field_type
 end
-
diff --git a/app/models/user_field_serializer.rb b/app/models/user_field_serializer.rb
index e3df3422658..52a9a8b4fd4 100644
--- a/app/models/user_field_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_field_serializer.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 class UserFieldSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
-  attributes :id, :name, :field_type, :editable
+  attributes :id, :name, :description, :field_type, :editable
 end
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 1ca1ae64f00..e4680186630 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -1999,11 +1999,12 @@ en:
 
       user_fields:
         title: "User Fields"
-        description: "Any fields added here will be required from users when they sign up."
+        help: "Any fields added here will be required from users when they sign up."
         create: "Create User Field"
         untitled: "Untitled"
         name: "Field Name"
         type: "Field Type"
+        description: "Field Description"
         save: "Save"
         edit: "Edit"
         delete: "Delete"
diff --git a/db/migrate/20141002181613_add_description_to_user_fields.rb b/db/migrate/20141002181613_add_description_to_user_fields.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5bebb80bdec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20141002181613_add_description_to_user_fields.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+class AddDescriptionToUserFields < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :user_fields, :description, :string, null: true
+    execute "UPDATE user_fields SET description=name"
+    change_column :user_fields, :description, :string, null: false
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller_spec.rb
index d0e4550bb6e..97412e74263 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/admin/user_fields_controller_spec.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ describe Admin::UserFieldsController do
     context '.create' do
       it "creates a user field" do
         -> {
-          xhr :post, :create, {user_field: {name: 'hello', field_type: 'text'} }
+          xhr :post, :create, {user_field: {name: 'hello', description: 'hello desc', field_type: 'text'} }
           response.should be_success
         }.should change(UserField, :count).by(1)
       end
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe Admin::UserFieldsController do
       let!(:user_field) { Fabricate(:user_field) }
 
       it "returns a list of user fields" do
-        xhr :put, :update, id: user_field.id, user_field: {name: 'fraggle', field_type: 'confirm'}
+        xhr :put, :update, id: user_field.id, user_field: {name: 'fraggle', field_type: 'confirm', description: 'muppet'}
         response.should be_success
         user_field.reload
         user_field.name.should == 'fraggle'
diff --git a/spec/fabricators/user_field.rb b/spec/fabricators/user_field.rb
index 16031101319..b1a3ec3ed77 100644
--- a/spec/fabricators/user_field.rb
+++ b/spec/fabricators/user_field.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Fabricator(:user_field) do
   name { sequence(:name) {|i| "field_#{i}" } }
+  description "user field description"
   field_type 'text'
   editable true
 end