diff --git a/app/controllers/errors.server.controller.js b/app/controllers/errors.server.controller.js
index bfd9fac3..78dc8771 100755
--- a/app/controllers/errors.server.controller.js
+++ b/app/controllers/errors.server.controller.js
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ exports.getErrorMessage = function(err) {
 
 	if(!err) {
 		return '';
-	} else if (err.code) {
+	} else if(typeof err === 'string'){
+        message = err;
+    } else if (err.code) {
 		switch (err.code) {
 			case 11000:
 			case 11001:
diff --git a/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js b/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js
index 55da25ba..7eba442a 100755
--- a/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js
+++ b/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ var config_nev = function () {
 	nev.configure({
 	    persistentUserModel: User,
 	    tempUserCollection: config.tempUserCollection,
+        emailAndUsernameUnique: true,
 	    expirationTime: 86400,  // 24 hours
 
 	    verificationURL: config.baseUrl+'/#!/verify/${URL}',
@@ -103,10 +104,10 @@ exports.signup = function(req, res) {
 
 	// Add missing user fields
 	user.provider = 'local';
-
 	// Then save the temporary user
 	nev.createTempUser(user, function (err, existingPersistentUser, newTempUser) {
-		if (err) {
+		debugger;
+        if (err) {
 			return res.status(400).send({
 				message: errorHandler.getErrorMessage(err)
 			});
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ exports.signup = function(req, res) {
 				return res.status(200).send('An email has been sent to you. Please check it to verify your account.');
 			});
 		} else {
+            console.log(err);
 			return res.status(400).send({message: 'Error: User already exists!'});
 		}
 	});
diff --git a/public/modules/users/views/authentication/signup.client.view.html b/public/modules/users/views/authentication/signup.client.view.html
index ea5c5eff..3ea1c671 100644
--- a/public/modules/users/views/authentication/signup.client.view.html
+++ b/public/modules/users/views/authentication/signup.client.view.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 		<div class="col-xs-offset-3 col-xs-6 col-sm-offset-4 col-sm-4">
 			<form name="userForm" data-ng-submit="signup()" class="signin form-horizontal" autocomplete="off">
 				<fieldset>
-					<div data-ng-show="error" id="signup_errors" class="text-center text-danger">
+					<div data-ng-show="error" id="signup_errors" class="text-center">
 						{{'SIGNUP_ERROR_TEXT' | translate}}: <br>
 						<strong data-ng-bind="error"></strong>
 					</div>