diff --git a/include/auth.php b/include/auth.php
index c09a89ffb3..0a6050a17e 100644
--- a/include/auth.php
+++ b/include/auth.php
@@ -70,27 +70,54 @@ else {
 	if((x($_POST,'password')) && strlen($_POST['password']))
 		$encrypted = hash('whirlpool',trim($_POST['password']));
 	else {
-		if((x($_POST,'login-name')) && strlen($_POST['login-name'])) {
-			$openid_url = trim($_POST['login-name']);
-			$r = q("SELECT `uid` FROM `user` WHERE `openid` = '%s' LIMIT 1",
-				dbesc($openid_url)
-			);
-			if(count($r)) {
-				require_once('library/openid.php');
-				$openid = new LightOpenID;
-				$openid->identity = $openid_url;
-				$_SESSION['openid'] = $openid_url;
-				$a = get_app();
-				$openid->returnUrl = $a->get_baseurl() . '/openid'; 
-				goaway($openid->authUrl());
-				// NOTREACHED	
-			}
-			else {
+		if((x($_POST,'openid_url')) && strlen($_POST['openid_url'])) {
+
+			$openid_url = trim($_POST['openid_url']);
+
+			// validate_url alters the calling parameter
+
+			$temp_string = $openid_url;
+
+			// if it's an email address or doesn't resolve to a URL, fail.
+
+			if((strpos($temp_string,'@')) || (! validate_url($temp_string))) {
 				$a = get_app();
 				notice( t('Login failed.') . EOL);
 				goaway($a->get_baseurl());
 				// NOTREACHED
 			}
+
+			// Otherwise it's probably an openid.
+
+			require_once('library/openid.php');
+			$openid = new LightOpenID;
+			$openid->identity = $openid_url;
+			$_SESSION['openid'] = $openid_url;
+			$a = get_app();
+			$openid->returnUrl = $a->get_baseurl() . '/openid'; 
+
+			$r = q("SELECT `uid` FROM `user` WHERE `openid` = '%s' LIMIT 1",
+				dbesc($openid_url)
+			);
+			if(count($r)) { 
+				// existing account
+				goaway($openid->authUrl());
+				// NOTREACHED	
+			}
+			else {
+				if($a->config['register_policy'] == REGISTER_CLOSED) {
+					$a = get_app();
+					notice( t('Login failed.') . EOL);
+					goaway($a->get_baseurl());
+					// NOTREACHED
+				}
+				// new account
+				$_SESSION['register'] = 1;
+				$openid->required = array('namePerson/friendly', 'contact/email', 'namePerson');
+				$openid->optional = array('namePerson/first');
+				goaway($openid->authUrl());
+				// NOTREACHED	
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if((x($_POST,'auth-params')) && $_POST['auth-params'] === 'login') {
@@ -99,8 +126,8 @@ else {
 
 		$r = q("SELECT * FROM `user` 
 			WHERE ( `email` = '%s' OR `nickname` = '%s' ) AND `password` = '%s' AND `blocked` = 0 AND `verified` = 1 LIMIT 1",
-			dbesc(trim($_POST['login-name'])),
-			dbesc(trim($_POST['login-name'])),
+			dbesc(trim($_POST['openid_url'])),
+			dbesc(trim($_POST['openid_url'])),
 			dbesc($encrypted));
 		if(($r === false) || (! count($r))) {
 			notice( t('Login failed.') . EOL );
diff --git a/mod/home.php b/mod/home.php
index 13b6d56c4a..b8f16158eb 100644
--- a/mod/home.php
+++ b/mod/home.php
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ function home_content(&$a) {
 	$o .= '<h1>Welcome' . ((x($a->config,'sitename')) ? " to {$a->config['sitename']}" : "" ) . '</h1>';
 	if(file_exists('home.html'))
 		$o .= file_get_contents('home.html');
+
 	$o .= login(($a->config['register_policy'] == REGISTER_CLOSED) ? 0 : 1);
 	return $o;
 
diff --git a/view/en/login.tpl b/view/en/login.tpl
index 8fe09e7d37..396a00266f 100644
--- a/view/en/login.tpl
+++ b/view/en/login.tpl
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 <form action="" method="post" >
 <input type="hidden" name="auth-params" value="login" />
 <div id="login-name-wrapper">
-        <label for="login-name" id="label-login-name">Nickname or Email: </label>
-        <input type="text" maxlength="60" name="login-name" id="login-name" value="" />
+        <label for="login-name" id="label-login-name">Nickname/Email/OpenID: </label>
+        <input type="text" maxlength="60" name="openid_url" class="openid" id="login-name" value="" />
 </div>
 <div id="login-name-end" ></div>
 <div id="login-password-wrapper">
-        <label for="login-password" id="label-login-password">Password: </label>
+        <label for="login-password" id="label-login-password">Password (if not OpenID): </label>
         <input type="password" maxlength="60" name="password" id="login-password" value="" />
 </div>
 <div id="login-password-end"></div>
diff --git a/view/en/settings.tpl b/view/en/settings.tpl
index f1926c004c..734effc0c2 100644
--- a/view/en/settings.tpl
+++ b/view/en/settings.tpl
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ Leave password fields blank unless changing
 <div id="settings-confirm-end" ></div>
 
 <div id="settings-openid-wrapper" >
-<label id="settings-openid-label" for="settings-openid" >(optional) OpenID: </label>
-<input type="text" id="settings-openid" class="openid" name="openid_url" value="$openid" />
+<label id="settings-openid-label" for="settings-openid" >OpenID: </label>
+<input type="text" id="settings-openid" class="openid" name="openid_url" value="$openid" />&nbsp;(Optional) Allow this OpenID to login to this account.
 </div>
 <div id="settings-openid-end" ></div>
 
diff --git a/view/theme/default/style.css b/view/theme/default/style.css
index bd2e418496..ee73cd114c 100644
--- a/view/theme/default/style.css
+++ b/view/theme/default/style.css
@@ -379,19 +379,24 @@ footer {
 
 #label-login-name, #label-login-password, #login-extra-filler {
 	float: left;
-	width: 150px;
+	width: 200px;
 	margin-bottom: 20px;
 }
 
 
-#login-name, #login-password {
+#login-password {
+	float: left;
+	width: 170px;
+}
+
+#login-name {
 	float: left;
 	width: 150px;
 }
 
 #register-link, #lost-password-link {
 	float: left;
-	font-size: 0.7em;
+	font-size: 80%;
 	margin-right: 15px;
 }
 
@@ -400,8 +405,8 @@ footer {
 }
 
 #login-submit-button {
-	margin-top: 10px;
-	margin-left: 150px;
+/*	margin-top: 10px; */
+	margin-left: 200px;
 }
 
 input#dfrn-url {