diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 3bd5ee87..a30c3da3 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   include HasContent
   include Authority::UserAbilities
 
-  validates_uniqueness_of :username, allow_nil: true, allow_blank: true
-  validates_format_of :username, with: /\A[A-Za-z0-9\-_\$\+\!\*]+\z/, message: 'must be between 1 and 40 alphanumeric characters (-, _, $, +, !, and * also accepted)'
-  validates :username, length: { in: 0..40, message: 'must be between 1 and 40 alphanumeric characters (-, _, $, +, !, and * also accepted)' }
+  validates :username, 
+    uniqueness: true,
+    allow_nil: true,
+    allow_blank: true,
+    length: { maximum: 40 },
+    format: /\A[A-Za-z0-9\-_\$\+\!\*]+\z/
 
   has_many :subscriptions,                dependent: :destroy
   has_many :billing_plans, through: :subscriptions