diff --git a/api/team.go b/api/team.go
index dc7804b4d4..7a4cabf7e1 100644
--- a/api/team.go
+++ b/api/team.go
@@ -487,12 +487,7 @@ func InviteMembers(team *model.Team, user *model.User, invites []string) {
 				teamUrl = fmt.Sprintf("http://%v.%v", team.Domain, utils.Cfg.ServiceSettings.Domain)
 			}
 
-			sender := ""
-			if len(strings.TrimSpace(user.Nickname)) == 0 {
-				sender = user.Username
-			} else {
-				sender = user.Nickname
-			}
+			sender := user.GetDisplayName()
 
 			senderRole := ""
 			if strings.Contains(user.Roles, model.ROLE_ADMIN) || strings.Contains(user.Roles, model.ROLE_SYSTEM_ADMIN) {
diff --git a/model/user.go b/model/user.go
index 5422f68a58..5b603cd92a 100644
--- a/model/user.go
+++ b/model/user.go
@@ -237,6 +237,14 @@ func (u *User) AddNotifyProp(key string, value string) {
 	u.NotifyProps[key] = value
 }
 
+func (u *User) GetDisplayName() string {
+	if u.Nickname != "" {
+		return u.Nickname
+	} else {
+		return u.Username
+	}
+}
+
 // UserFromJson will decode the input and return a User
 func UserFromJson(data io.Reader) *User {
 	decoder := json.NewDecoder(data)
diff --git a/model/user_test.go b/model/user_test.go
index 4db099f97f..a0c62676ae 100644
--- a/model/user_test.go
+++ b/model/user_test.go
@@ -107,3 +107,16 @@ func TestUserIsValid(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestUserGetDisplayName(t *testing.T) {
+	user := User{FirstName: "first", LastName: "last", Username: "user"}
+
+	if displayName := user.GetDisplayName(); displayName != "user" {
+		t.Fatal("Display name should be username")
+	}
+
+	user.Nickname = "nickname"
+	if displayName := user.GetDisplayName(); displayName != "nickname" {
+		t.Fatal("Display name should be nickname")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/web/react/components/member_list_team.jsx b/web/react/components/member_list_team.jsx
index 8d69a36d39..6f1d83193a 100644
--- a/web/react/components/member_list_team.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/member_list_team.jsx
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ var MemberListTeamItem = React.createClass({
         return (
             <div className="row member-div">
                 <img className="post-profile-img pull-left" src={"/api/v1/users/" + user.id + "/image?time=" + timestamp} height="36" width="36" />
-                <span className="member-name">{user.nickname.trim() ? user.nickname : user.username}</span>
-                <span className="member-email">{user.nickname.trim() ? user.username : email}</span>
+                <span className="member-name">{utils.getDisplayName(user)}</span>
+                <span className="member-email">{email}</span>
                 <div className="dropdown member-drop">
                     <a href="#" className="dropdown-toggle theme" type="button" id="channel_header_dropdown" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="true">
                         <span>{currentRoles}  </span>
diff --git a/web/react/components/sidebar.jsx b/web/react/components/sidebar.jsx
index 7427200487..65727c5972 100644
--- a/web/react/components/sidebar.jsx
+++ b/web/react/components/sidebar.jsx
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ function getStateFromStores() {
         var channel = ChannelStore.getByName(channelName);
 
         if (channel != null) {
-            channel.display_name = teammate.nickname.trim() != "" ? teammate.nickname : teammate.username;
+            channel.display_name = utils.getDisplayName(teammate);
             channel.teammate_username = teammate.username;
 
             channel.status = UserStore.getStatus(teammate.id);
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ function getStateFromStores() {
             var tempChannel = {};
             tempChannel.fake = true;
             tempChannel.name = channelName;
-            tempChannel.display_name = teammate.nickname.trim() != "" ? teammate.nickname : teammate.username;
+            tempChannel.display_name = utils.getDisplayName(teammate);
             tempChannel.status = UserStore.getStatus(teammate.id);
             tempChannel.last_post_at = 0;
             readDirectChannels.push(tempChannel);
diff --git a/web/react/utils/utils.jsx b/web/react/utils/utils.jsx
index 7186251e7f..5a1a7ee738 100644
--- a/web/react/utils/utils.jsx
+++ b/web/react/utils/utils.jsx
@@ -796,7 +796,6 @@ module.exports.getHomeLink = function() {
 	return window.location.protocol + "//" + parts.join(".");
 }
 
-
 module.exports.changeColor =function(col, amt) {
 
     var usePound = false;
@@ -824,5 +823,12 @@ module.exports.changeColor =function(col, amt) {
     else if (g < 0) g = 0;
 
     return (usePound?"#":"") + String("000000" + (g | (b << 8) | (r << 16)).toString(16)).slice(-6);
-
+};
+
+module.exports.getDisplayName = function(user) {
+    if (user.nickname && user.nickname.trim().length > 0) {
+        return user.nickname;
+    } else {
+        return user.username;
+    }
 };