diff --git a/src/applications/auth/controller/PhabricatorAuthRegisterController.php b/src/applications/auth/controller/PhabricatorAuthRegisterController.php
index 6f75a51555..563f256cc5 100644
--- a/src/applications/auth/controller/PhabricatorAuthRegisterController.php
+++ b/src/applications/auth/controller/PhabricatorAuthRegisterController.php
@@ -144,8 +144,10 @@ final class PhabricatorAuthRegisterController
 
     $errors = array();
 
+    $require_real_name = PhabricatorEnv::getEnvConfig('user.require-real-name');
+
     $e_username = strlen($value_username) ? null : true;
-    $e_realname = strlen($value_realname) ? null : true;
+    $e_realname = $require_real_name ? true : null;
     $e_email = strlen($value_email) ? null : true;
     $e_password = true;
     $e_captcha = true;
@@ -224,7 +226,7 @@ final class PhabricatorAuthRegisterController
 
       if ($can_edit_realname) {
         $value_realname = $request->getStr('realName');
-        if (!strlen($value_realname)) {
+        if (!strlen($value_realname) && $require_real_name) {
           $e_realname = pht('Required');
           $errors[] = pht('Real name is required.');
         } else {
diff --git a/src/applications/metamta/query/PhabricatorMetaMTAActorQuery.php b/src/applications/metamta/query/PhabricatorMetaMTAActorQuery.php
index ad94b9ff31..ff5689d44e 100644
--- a/src/applications/metamta/query/PhabricatorMetaMTAActorQuery.php
+++ b/src/applications/metamta/query/PhabricatorMetaMTAActorQuery.php
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ final class PhabricatorMetaMTAActorQuery extends PhabricatorQuery {
         $name = $user->getUserName();
         break;
       case 'real':
-        $name = $user->getRealName();
+        $name = strlen($user->getRealName()) ?
+          $user->getRealName() : $user->getUserName();
         break;
       case 'full':
       default:
diff --git a/src/applications/people/config/PhabricatorUserConfigOptions.php b/src/applications/people/config/PhabricatorUserConfigOptions.php
index 0795ba67e5..5c83312fcc 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/config/PhabricatorUserConfigOptions.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/config/PhabricatorUserConfigOptions.php
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ final class PhabricatorUserConfigOptions
         ->setDescription(pht("Select and reorder user profile fields.")),
       $this->newOption('user.custom-field-definitions', 'map', array())
         ->setDescription(pht("Add new simple fields to user profiles.")),
+      $this->newOption('user.require-real-name', 'bool', true)
+        ->setDescription(pht("Always require real name for user profiles."))
+        ->setBoolOptions(
+          array(
+            pht('Make real names required'),
+            pht('Make real names optional'),
+          )),
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleNewController.php b/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleNewController.php
index c789747fff..5769c3aca7 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleNewController.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleNewController.php
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ final class PhabricatorPeopleNewController
     }
 
     $user = new PhabricatorUser();
+    $require_real_name = PhabricatorEnv::getEnvConfig('user.require-real-name');
 
     $e_username = true;
-    $e_realname = true;
+    $e_realname = $require_real_name ? true : null;
     $e_email    = true;
     $errors = array();
 
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ final class PhabricatorPeopleNewController
         $e_username = null;
       }
 
-      if (!strlen($user->getRealName())) {
+      if (!strlen($user->getRealName()) && $require_real_name) {
         $errors[] = pht('Real name is required.');
         $e_realname = pht('Required');
       } else {
diff --git a/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleProfileController.php b/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleProfileController.php
index 0413127dce..c75ae8088e 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleProfileController.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/controller/PhabricatorPeopleProfileController.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ final class PhabricatorPeopleProfileController
     $picture = $user->loadProfileImageURI();
 
     $header = id(new PHUIHeaderView())
-      ->setHeader($user->getUserName().' ('.$user->getRealName().')')
+      ->setHeader($user->getFullName())
       ->setSubheader($profile->getTitle())
       ->setImage($picture);
 
diff --git a/src/applications/people/phid/PhabricatorPeoplePHIDTypeUser.php b/src/applications/people/phid/PhabricatorPeoplePHIDTypeUser.php
index 49ddf01ed4..db6295006f 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/phid/PhabricatorPeoplePHIDTypeUser.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/phid/PhabricatorPeoplePHIDTypeUser.php
@@ -41,10 +41,11 @@ final class PhabricatorPeoplePHIDTypeUser extends PhabricatorPHIDType {
 
     foreach ($handles as $phid => $handle) {
       $user = $objects[$phid];
+      $realname = $user->getRealName();
+
       $handle->setName($user->getUsername());
       $handle->setURI('/p/'.$user->getUsername().'/');
-      $handle->setFullName(
-        $user->getUsername().' ('.$user->getRealName().')');
+      $handle->setFullName($user->getFullName());
       $handle->setImageURI($user->loadProfileImageURI());
       $handle->setDisabled(!$user->isUserActivated());
       if ($user->hasStatus()) {
diff --git a/src/applications/people/search/PhabricatorUserSearchIndexer.php b/src/applications/people/search/PhabricatorUserSearchIndexer.php
index bb0a2a337c..da591d7f7d 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/search/PhabricatorUserSearchIndexer.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/search/PhabricatorUserSearchIndexer.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ final class PhabricatorUserSearchIndexer
     $doc = new PhabricatorSearchAbstractDocument();
     $doc->setPHID($user->getPHID());
     $doc->setDocumentType(PhabricatorPeoplePHIDTypeUser::TYPECONST);
-    $doc->setDocumentTitle($user->getUserName().' ('.$user->getRealName().')');
+    $doc->setDocumentTitle($user->getFullName());
     $doc->setDocumentCreated($user->getDateCreated());
     $doc->setDocumentModified($user->getDateModified());
 
diff --git a/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php b/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php
index 051a77f2b8..f5da21efd4 100644
--- a/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php
@@ -711,7 +711,11 @@ EOBODY;
   }
 
   public function getFullName() {
-    return $this->getUsername().' ('.$this->getRealName().')';
+    if (strlen($this->getRealName())) {
+      return $this->getUsername().' ('.$this->getRealName().')';
+    } else {
+      return $this->getUsername();
+    }
   }
 
   public function __toString() {