diff --git a/ietf/ietfauth/forms.py b/ietf/ietfauth/forms.py
index 59c9cc0e6..193affb4e 100644
--- a/ietf/ietfauth/forms.py
+++ b/ietf/ietfauth/forms.py
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ class RoleEmailForm(forms.Form):
 
 
 class ResetPasswordForm(forms.Form):
-    email = forms.EmailField(label="Your email (lowercase)")
+    username = forms.EmailField(label="Your email (lowercase)")
 
-    def clean_email(self):
-        email = self.cleaned_data["email"]
-        if not User.objects.filter(username=email).exists():
+    def clean_username(self):
+        username = self.cleaned_data["username"]
+        if not User.objects.filter(username=username).exists():
             raise forms.ValidationError(mark_safe("Didn't find a matching account. If you don't have an account yet, you can <a href=\"{}\">create one</a>.".format(urlreverse("create_account"))))
-        return email
+        return username
 
 
 class TestEmailForm(forms.Form):
diff --git a/ietf/ietfauth/tests.py b/ietf/ietfauth/tests.py
index 5c51b499e..7a21d95b2 100644
--- a/ietf/ietfauth/tests.py
+++ b/ietf/ietfauth/tests.py
@@ -241,14 +241,14 @@ class IetfAuthTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
 
         # ask for reset, wrong username
-        r = self.client.post(url, { 'email': "nobody@example.com" })
+        r = self.client.post(url, { 'username': "nobody@example.com" })
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
         q = PyQuery(r.content)
         self.assertTrue(len(q("form .has-error")) > 0)
 
         # ask for reset
         empty_outbox()
-        r = self.client.post(url, { 'email': user.username })
+        r = self.client.post(url, { 'username': user.username })
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
         self.assertEqual(len(outbox), 1)
 
diff --git a/ietf/ietfauth/views.py b/ietf/ietfauth/views.py
index fb2971213..28a3d0d9b 100644
--- a/ietf/ietfauth/views.py
+++ b/ietf/ietfauth/views.py
@@ -276,18 +276,19 @@ def password_reset(request):
     if request.method == 'POST':
         form = ResetPasswordForm(request.POST)
         if form.is_valid():
-            to_email = form.cleaned_data['email']
+            username = form.cleaned_data['username']
 
-            auth = django.core.signing.dumps(to_email, salt="password_reset")
+            auth = django.core.signing.dumps(username, salt="password_reset")
 
             domain = Site.objects.get_current().domain
             subject = 'Confirm password reset at %s' % domain
             from_email = settings.DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL
+            to_email = username # form validation makes sure that this is an email address
 
             send_mail(request, to_email, from_email, subject, 'registration/password_reset_email.txt', {
                 'domain': domain,
                 'auth': auth,
-                'username': to_email,
+                'username': username,
                 'expire': settings.DAYS_TO_EXPIRE_REGISTRATION_LINK,
             })
 
@@ -302,11 +303,11 @@ def password_reset(request):
 
 def confirm_password_reset(request, auth):
     try:
-        email = django.core.signing.loads(auth, salt="password_reset", max_age=settings.DAYS_TO_EXPIRE_REGISTRATION_LINK * 24 * 60 * 60)
+        username = django.core.signing.loads(auth, salt="password_reset", max_age=settings.DAYS_TO_EXPIRE_REGISTRATION_LINK * 24 * 60 * 60)
     except django.core.signing.BadSignature:
         raise Http404("Invalid or expired auth")
 
-    user = get_object_or_404(User, username=email)
+    user = get_object_or_404(User, username=username)
 
     success = False
     if request.method == 'POST':
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ def confirm_password_reset(request, auth):
 
     return render(request, 'registration/change_password.html', {
         'form': form,
-        'email': email,
+        'username': username,
         'success': success,
     })
 
diff --git a/ietf/templates/registration/change_password.html b/ietf/templates/registration/change_password.html
index ca4debd71..26321558a 100644
--- a/ietf/templates/registration/change_password.html
+++ b/ietf/templates/registration/change_password.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   {% else %}
     <h1>Change password</h1>
 
-    <p>You can change the password below for your user {{ email }} below.</p>
+    <p>You can change the password below for your user {{ username }} below.</p>
     <form method="post">
       {% csrf_token %}
       {% bootstrap_form form %}
diff --git a/ietf/templates/registration/password_reset.html b/ietf/templates/registration/password_reset.html
index f65127384..102a3e8e1 100644
--- a/ietf/templates/registration/password_reset.html
+++ b/ietf/templates/registration/password_reset.html
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   {% else %}
     <h1>Password reset</h1>
 
-    <p>Please enter an email address associated with the account for which you would like to reset the password.</p>
+    <p>Please enter the account for which you would like to reset the password.</p>
 
     <form method="post">
       {% csrf_token %}