diff --git a/app/views/user/new.html.erb b/app/views/user/new.html.erb
index 8b1dab5be..a25097e16 100644
--- a/app/views/user/new.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/user/new.html.erb
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
   <tr><td></td><td><span class="minorNote"><%= t 'user.new.not displayed publicly' %></span></td></tr>
   <tr><td colspan=2>&nbsp;<!--vertical spacer--></td></tr>
   <tr><td class="fieldName"><%= t 'user.new.display name' %></td><td><%= text_field('user', 'display_name',{:size => 30, :maxlength => 255, :tabindex => 3}) %></td></tr>
+  <tr><td></td><td><span class="minorNote"><%= t 'user.new.display name description' %></span></td></tr>
   <tr><td colspan=2>&nbsp;<!--vertical spacer--></td></tr>
   <tr><td class="fieldName"><%= t 'user.new.password' %></td><td><%= password_field('user', 'pass_crypt',{:size => 30, :maxlength => 255, :tabindex => 4}) %></td></tr>
   <tr><td class="fieldName"><%= t 'user.new.confirm password' %></td><td><%= password_field('user', 'pass_crypt_confirmation',{:size => 30, :maxlength => 255, :tabindex => 5}) %></td></tr>
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 270549b65..56b00c3c7 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -919,6 +919,7 @@ en:
       confirm email address: "Confirm Email Address:"
       not displayed publicly: 'Not displayed publicly (see <a href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy" title="wiki privacy policy including section on email addresses">privacy policy</a>)'
       display name: "Display Name:"
+      display name description: "Your publicly displayed username. You can change this later in the preferences."
       password: "Password:"
       confirm password: "Confirm Password:"
       signup: Signup