diff --git a/src/api/services/actors.zig b/src/api/services/actors.zig
index c51c23e..f35e9e0 100644
--- a/src/api/services/actors.zig
+++ b/src/api/services/actors.zig
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@ pub const UsernameValidationError = error{
 ///     - Be at least 1 character
 ///     - Be no more than 32 characters
 ///     - All characters are in [A-Za-z0-9_]
-pub fn validateUsername(username: []const u8) UsernameValidationError!void {
+pub fn validateUsername(username: []const u8, lax: bool) UsernameValidationError!void {
     if (username.len == 0) return error.UsernameEmpty;
     if (username.len > max_username_chars) return error.UsernameTooLong;
 
     for (username) |ch| {
-        const valid = std.ascii.isAlNum(ch) or ch == '_';
+        const valid = std.ascii.isAlNum(ch) or ch == '_' or (lax and ch == '.');
         if (!valid) return error.UsernameContainsInvalidChar;
     }
 }
@@ -81,11 +81,12 @@ pub fn create(
     db: anytype,
     username: []const u8,
     community_id: Uuid,
+    lax_username: bool,
     alloc: std.mem.Allocator,
 ) CreateError!Uuid {
     const id = Uuid.randV4(util.getThreadPrng());
 
-    try validateUsername(username);
+    try validateUsername(username, lax_username);
 
     db.insert("actor", .{
         .id = id,
diff --git a/src/api/services/auth.zig b/src/api/services/auth.zig
index 426c734..88e0f20 100644
--- a/src/api/services/auth.zig
+++ b/src/api/services/auth.zig
@@ -36,14 +36,14 @@ pub fn register(
     if (password.len < min_password_chars) return error.PasswordTooShort;
 
     // perform pre-validation to avoid having to hash the password if it fails
-    try actors.validateUsername(username);
+    try actors.validateUsername(username, false);
     const hash = try hashPassword(password, alloc);
     defer alloc.free(hash);
 
     const tx = db.beginOrSavepoint() catch return error.DatabaseFailure;
     errdefer tx.rollback();
 
-    const id = try actors.create(tx, username, community_id, alloc);
+    const id = try actors.create(tx, username, community_id, false, alloc);
     tx.insert("account", .{
         .id = id,
         .invite_id = options.invite_id,
diff --git a/src/api/services/communities.zig b/src/api/services/communities.zig
index 824957e..81ae8b4 100644
--- a/src/api/services/communities.zig
+++ b/src/api/services/communities.zig
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ pub fn create(db: anytype, origin: []const u8, options: CreateOptions, alloc: st
     }, alloc);
 
     if (options.kind == .local) {
-        const actor_id = actors.create(tx, "community.actor", id, alloc) catch |err| switch (err) {
+        const actor_id = actors.create(tx, "community.actor", id, true, alloc) catch |err| switch (err) {
             error.UsernameContainsInvalidChar,
             error.UsernameTooLong,
             error.UsernameEmpty,
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ pub fn create(db: anytype, origin: []const u8, options: CreateOptions, alloc: st
             \\UPDATE community
             \\SET community_actor_id = $1
             \\WHERE id = $2
-            \\LIMIT 1
         , .{ actor_id, id }, alloc);
     }