diff --git a/src/templates/mapping.go b/src/templates/mapping.go
index 0794d544..7dc9c7f3 100644
--- a/src/templates/mapping.go
+++ b/src/templates/mapping.go
@@ -184,11 +184,12 @@ func ThreadToTemplate(t *models.Thread) Thread {
 }
 
 func UserAvatarDefaultUrl(theme string) string {
+	// TODO(redesign): Get rid of theme here
 	return hmnurl.BuildTheme("empty-avatar.svg", theme, true)
 }
 
 func UserAvatarUrl(u *models.User) string {
-	avatar := ""
+	avatar := UserAvatarDefaultUrl("light")
 	if u != nil && u.AvatarAsset != nil {
 		avatar = hmnurl.BuildS3Asset(u.AvatarAsset.S3Key)
 	}
diff --git a/src/templates/src/project_edit.html b/src/templates/src/project_edit.html
index 75d93d46..efa66302 100644
--- a/src/templates/src/project_edit.html
+++ b/src/templates/src/project_edit.html
@@ -145,18 +145,24 @@
 						<div id="owners_error" class="f6"></div>
 						<div id="owner_list" class="pt3 flex flex-wrap g3">
 							<template id="owner_row">
-								<div class="owner_row flex flex-row items-center bg2 pa2" data-tmpl="root">
+								<div class="owner_row flex flex-row items-center g2 bg3 pa2" data-tmpl="root">
 									<input type="hidden" name="owners" data-tmpl="input" />
-									<span data-tmpl="name"></span>
-									<a class="remove_owner svgicon f7 link-normal pl2" href="javascript:;">{{ svg "close" }}</a>
+									<div class="flex g1 items-center b">
+										<img data-tmpl="avatar" class="avatar avatar-user avatar-small" src="" />
+										<span data-tmpl="name"></span>
+									</div>
+									<a class="remove_owner svgicon f7 link-normal" href="javascript:;">{{ svg "close" }}</a>
 								</div>
 							</template>
 							{{ range .ProjectSettings.Owners }}
-								<div class="owner_row flex flex-row items-center bg2 pa2">
+								<div class="owner_row flex flex-row items-center g2 bg3 pa2">
 									<input type="hidden" name="owners" value="{{ .Username }}" />
-									<span>{{ .Username }}</span>
+									<div class="flex g1 items-center b">
+										<img class="avatar avatar-user avatar-small" src="{{ .AvatarUrl }}" />
+										<span title="{{ .Username }}">{{ .Name }}</span>
+									</div>
 									{{ if (or $.User.IsStaff (ne .ID $.User.ID)) }}
-										<a class="remove_owner svgicon f7 link-normal pl2" href="javascript:;">{{ svg "close" }}</a>
+										<a class="remove_owner svgicon f7 link-normal" href="javascript:;">{{ svg "close" }}</a>
 									{{ end }}
 								</div>
 							{{ end }}
@@ -267,11 +273,6 @@
 						<div id="owners_preview_container">
 							<hr class="mv3">
 							<div id="owners_preview" class="flex flex-wrap g2">
-								<!-- TODO(redesign): Actually preview owners -->
-								<div class="flex g1 items-center b">
-									<div class="avatar avatar-user avatar-small"></div>
-									<span>Example User</span>
-								</div>
 							</div>
 						</div>
 						<!-- TODO(redesign): Preview badges -->
@@ -340,6 +341,7 @@
 	let ownerList = document.querySelector("#owner_list");
 	let ownerTemplate = makeTemplateCloner("owner_row");
 	let ownerPreviewTemplate = makeTemplateCloner("owner_preview");
+	let ownersPreviewContainer = document.querySelector("#owners_preview");
 
 	addOwnerInput.addEventListener("keypress", function(ev) {
 		if (ev.which == 13) {
@@ -385,7 +387,7 @@
 			let result = xhr.response;
 			if (result) {
 				if (result.found) {
-					addOwner(result.canonical);
+					addOwner(result.username, result.name, result.avatarUrl);
 					addOwnerInput.value = "";
 				} else {
 					ownersError.textContent = "Username not found";
@@ -417,21 +419,41 @@
 		updateAddOwnerStyles();
 	}
 
-	function addOwner(username) {
+	function addOwner(username, bestName, avatarUrl) {
 		let ownerEl = ownerTemplate();
 		ownerEl.input.value = username;
-		ownerEl.name.textContent = username;
+		ownerEl.name.textContent = bestName;
+		ownerEl.title = username;
+		ownerEl.avatar.src = avatarUrl;
 		ownerList.appendChild(ownerEl.root);
 		updateAddOwnerStyles();
+		updateOwnersPreview();
 	}
 
 	ownerList.addEventListener("click", function(ev) {
-		if (ev.target.classList.contains("remove_owner")) {
-			ev.target.parentElement.remove();
+		if (ev.target.closest(".remove_owner")) {
+			ev.target.closest(".owner_row").remove();
 		}
 		updateAddOwnerStyles();
+		updateOwnersPreview();
 	});
 
+	function updateOwnersPreview() {
+		let ownerEls = ownerList.querySelectorAll(".owner_row");
+		ownersPreviewContainer.innerHTML = "";
+		for (let i = 0; i < ownerEls.length; ++i) {
+			let avatarUrl = ownerEls[i].querySelector("img").src;
+			let name = ownerEls[i].querySelector("span").textContent;
+			let previewEl = ownerPreviewTemplate();
+			previewEl.avatar.src = avatarUrl;
+			previewEl.name.textContent = name;
+			ownersPreviewContainer.appendChild(previewEl.root);
+		}
+		
+	}
+
+	updateOwnersPreview();
+
 	//////////////////////////////
 	// Logo / header management //
 	//////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/website/api.go b/src/website/api.go
index 80645159..09bd3af9 100644
--- a/src/website/api.go
+++ b/src/website/api.go
@@ -8,50 +8,34 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"git.handmade.network/hmn/hmn/src/db"
+	"git.handmade.network/hmn/hmn/src/hmndata"
 	"git.handmade.network/hmn/hmn/src/models"
 	"git.handmade.network/hmn/hmn/src/oops"
+	"git.handmade.network/hmn/hmn/src/templates"
 	"git.handmade.network/hmn/hmn/src/utils"
 )
 
 func APICheckUsername(c *RequestContext) ResponseData {
 	c.Req.ParseForm()
 	usernameArgs, hasUsername := c.Req.Form["username"]
-	found := false
-	canonicalUsername := ""
+	var user *models.User
+	var err error
 	if hasUsername {
 		requestedUsername := usernameArgs[0]
-		found = true
-		c.Perf.StartBlock("SQL", "Fetch user")
-		user, err := db.QueryOne[models.User](c, c.Conn,
-			`
-			SELECT $columns
-			FROM
-				hmn_user
-			WHERE
-				LOWER(hmn_user.username) = LOWER($1)
-				AND status = ANY ($2)
-			`,
-			requestedUsername,
-			[]models.UserStatus{models.UserStatusConfirmed, models.UserStatusApproved},
-		)
-		c.Perf.EndBlock()
-		if err != nil {
-			if errors.Is(err, db.NotFound) {
-				found = false
-			} else {
-				return c.ErrorResponse(http.StatusInternalServerError, oops.New(err, "failed to fetch user: %s", requestedUsername))
-			}
-		} else {
-			canonicalUsername = user.Username
+		user, err = hmndata.FetchUserByUsername(c, c.Conn, c.CurrentUser, requestedUsername, hmndata.UsersQuery{})
+		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, db.NotFound) {
+			return c.ErrorResponse(http.StatusInternalServerError, oops.New(err, "failed to fetch user: %s", requestedUsername))
 		}
 	}
 
 	var res ResponseData
 	addCORSHeaders(c, &res)
-	if found {
+	if user != nil {
 		res.WriteJson(map[string]any{
 			"found":     true,
-			"canonical": canonicalUsername,
+			"username":  user.Username,
+			"name":      user.BestName(),
+			"avatarUrl": templates.UserAvatarUrl(user),
 		}, nil)
 	} else {
 		res.WriteJson(map[string]any{