diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/users/user.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/users/user.controller.js
index 540f2b85df..15d2353c46 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/users/user.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/users/user.controller.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
                 setUserDisplayState();
                 formatDatesToLocal(vm.user);
 
-                vm.usernameIsEmail = Umbraco.Sys.ServerVariables.umbracoSettings.usernameIsEmail || user.email === user.username;
+                vm.usernameIsEmail = Umbraco.Sys.ServerVariables.umbracoSettings.usernameIsEmail && user.email === user.username;
 
                 //go get the config for the membership provider and add it to the model
                 authResource.getMembershipProviderConfig().then(function (data) {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/config/umbracoSettings.Release.config b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/config/umbracoSettings.Release.config
index 6687e71f4c..4e0c24434c 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/config/umbracoSettings.Release.config
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/config/umbracoSettings.Release.config
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@
   <security>
     <!-- set to true to auto update login interval (and there by disabling the lock screen -->
     <keepUserLoggedIn>false</keepUserLoggedIn>
+    <!-- by default this is true and if not specified in config will be true. set to false to always show a separate username field in the back office user editor -->
+    <usernameIsEmail>true</usernameIsEmail>
     <!-- change in 4.8: Disabled users are now showed dimmed and last in the tree. If you prefer not to display them set this to true -->
     <hideDisabledUsersInBackoffice>false</hideDisabledUsersInBackoffice>
   </security>