diff --git a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
index a40b8dcb2..9af6e4e86 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
     http://www.webgui.org/bugs/tracker/user-profile-images-disappear-after-updat
  - RFE: HttpProxy - regexp for URLs that will not be proxied.  Url pattern
    filters can now be created in HttpProxy wobject properties.
+ - RFE: WebGUI::User has no way to get a user when you only know their username (Wes Morgan, U.S. PIRG)
+   http://www.webgui.org/bugs/tracker/webguiuser-has-no-way-to-get-a-user-when-you-only-know-their-username
  - Collaboration System wobjects can now be subclassed and still work with the
    existing Thread and Post assets.
  - fix: Added some additional i18n that was missing.
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/User.pm b/lib/WebGUI/User.pm
index fdfa83795..fa65e6abd 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/User.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/User.pm
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@ This package provides an object-oriented way of managing WebGUI users as well as
 =head1 SYNOPSIS
 
  use WebGUI::User;
- $u = WebGUI::User->new($session,3); or  $u = WebGUI::User->new($session,"new"); or $u = WebGUI::User->newByEmail($session, $email);
+ $u = WebGUI::User->new($session,3);
+ $u = WebGUI::User->new($session,"new");
+ $u = WebGUI::User->newByEmail($session, $email);
+ $u = WebGUI::User->newByUsername($session, $username);
 
  $authMethod =		$u->authMethod("WebGUI");
  $dateCreated = 	$u->dateCreated;
@@ -423,6 +426,7 @@ sub new {
 =head2 newByEmail ( session, email )
 
 Instanciates a user by email address. Returns undef if the email address could not be found.
+Visitor may not be looked up with this method.
 
 =head3 session
 
@@ -446,6 +450,35 @@ sub newByEmail {
 }
 
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+=head2 newByUsername ( session, username )
+
+Instanciates a user by username. Returns undef if the username could not be found.
+Visitor may not be looked up with this method.
+
+=head3 session
+
+A reference to the current session.
+
+=head3 username
+
+The username to search for.
+
+=cut
+
+sub newByUsername {
+	my $class = shift;
+	my $session = shift;
+	my $username = shift;
+	my ($id) = $session->dbSlave->quickArray("select userId from users where username=?",[$username]);
+	my $user = $class->new($session, $id);
+	return undef if ($user->userId eq "1"); # visitor is never valid for this method
+	return undef unless $user->username;
+	return $user;
+}
+
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 =head2 profileField ( fieldName [, value ] )
diff --git a/t/User.t b/t/User.t
index deb37bd4c..9d9c841a9 100644
--- a/t/User.t
+++ b/t/User.t
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use WebGUI::Cache;
 use WebGUI::User;
 use WebGUI::ProfileField;
 
-use Test::More tests => 95; # increment this value for each test you create
+use Test::More tests => 101; # increment this value for each test you create
 use Test::Deep;
 
 my $session = WebGUI::Test->session;
@@ -335,13 +335,40 @@ is($clone, undef, 'newByEmail returns undef if you look up the Visitor');
 $clone = WebGUI::User->newByEmail($session, 'noone@localdomain');
 is($clone, undef, 'newByEmail returns undef if email address cannot be found');
 
+$dude->username('');
+
 $clone = WebGUI::User->newByEmail($session, 'dude@aftery2k.com');
 is($clone, undef, 'newByEmail returns undef if the user does not have a username');
 
 $dude->username('dude');
 
 $clone = WebGUI::User->newByEmail($session, 'dude@aftery2k.com');
-is($clone->username, 'dude', 'newByEmail returns valid user object');
+isa_ok($clone, 'WebGUI::User', 'newByEmail returns a valid user object');
+is($clone->username, 'dude', '... and it has the right username');
+
+################################################################
+#
+# newByUsername
+#
+################################################################
+
+my $useru = WebGUI::User->newByUsername($session, 'Visitor');
+is($useru, undef, 'newByUsername returns undef if you look up the Visitor');
+
+$useru = WebGUI::User->newByUsername($session, 'NotHomeRightNow');
+is($useru, undef, 'newByUsername returns undef if username cannot be found');
+
+$dude->username('');
+
+$useru = WebGUI::User->newByUsername($session, 'dude@aftery2k.com');
+is($useru, undef, 'newByUsername returns undef if the user does not have a username');
+
+$dude->username('dude');
+
+$useru = WebGUI::User->newByUsername($session, 'dude');
+isa_ok($useru, 'WebGUI::User', 'newByUsername returns a valid user object');
+is($useru->userId, $dude->userId, '... and it is the right user object');
+
 
 ################################################################
 #