diff --git a/pyconde/accounts/forms.py b/pyconde/accounts/forms.py
index d1aa805..2620f74 100644
--- a/pyconde/accounts/forms.py
+++ b/pyconde/accounts/forms.py
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ class ProfileRegistrationForm(RegistrationForm):
         help_text=Profile()._meta.get_field_by_name('avatar')[0].help_text)
     short_info = forms.CharField(label=_("short info"), widget=forms.Textarea, required=False)
     organisation = forms.CharField(label=_("Organisation"), required=False)
-    twitter = forms.CharField(label=_("Twitter"), required=False,
-        validators=[validators.twitter_username])
+    twitter = forms.CharField(label=_("Twitter"), required=False)
     website = forms.URLField(label=_("Website"), required=False)
     num_accompanying_children = forms.IntegerField(required=False,
                                                    label=_('Number of accompanying children'),
@@ -119,6 +118,15 @@ def save_profile(self, new_user, *args, **kwargs):
             accept_ep_conferences=self.cleaned_data['accept_ep_conferences']
         )
 
+    def clean_twitter(self):
+        """
+        Allow the user to enter either "@foo" or "foo" as their twitter handle.
+        """
+        value = self.cleaned_data.get('twitter', '')
+        value = value.lstrip('@')
+        validators.twitter_username(value)  # validates the max_length
+        return value
+
 
 class AuthenticationForm(auth_forms.AuthenticationForm):
     """
diff --git a/pyconde/accounts/tests.py b/pyconde/accounts/tests.py
index f9bd941..169b575 100644
--- a/pyconde/accounts/tests.py
+++ b/pyconde/accounts/tests.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def test_no_display_name_given(self):
         self.assertEquals("username", account_tags.display_name(user))
 
 
-class AddressedAsFilterTest(TransactionTestCase):
+class AddressedAsFilterTests(TransactionTestCase):
     def test_empty_parameter(self):
         self.assertIsNone(account_tags.addressed_as(None))
 
@@ -178,3 +178,42 @@ def test_start_with_at(self):
     def test_too_long(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
             validators.twitter_username("test test test t")
+
+
+class ProfileRegistrationFormTests(TestCase):
+    def _required_data(self, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Build a dict of required data for the ProfileRegistrationForm and
+        update it with the given kwargs.
+        """
+        required = {
+            'username': 'foo',
+            'password': 'foo',
+            'password_repeat': 'foo',
+            'display_name': 'foo',
+            'email': 'foo@example.com',
+            'accept_privacy_policy': '1',
+        }
+        required.update(kwargs)
+        return required
+
+    def test_twitter_handle_leading_at(self):
+        data = self._required_data(twitter='@foo')
+        f = forms.ProfileRegistrationForm(data)
+        self.assertTrue(f.is_valid())
+        self.assertEqual(f.cleaned_data['twitter'], 'foo')
+
+    def test_twitter_handle_too_long(self):
+        handle = 16 * 'a'
+        data = self._required_data(twitter=handle)
+        f = forms.ProfileRegistrationForm(data)
+        self.assertFalse(f.is_valid())
+        errors = f['twitter'].errors
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(errors[0], 'Twitter usernames have only 15 characters or less')
+
+    def test_twitter_handle_15_chars_with_leading_at(self):
+        handle = '@' + 15 * 'a'
+        data = self._required_data(twitter=handle)
+        f = forms.ProfileRegistrationForm(data)
+        self.assertTrue(f.is_valid())