diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index d1f8b11cb..9738d57da 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@
                 "sanitize-filename": "^1.6.3",
                 "sillytavern-transformers": "^2.14.6",
                 "simple-git": "^3.19.1",
-                "slugify": "^1.6.6",
-                "uuid": "^9.0.1",
                 "vectra": "^0.2.2",
                 "wavefile": "^11.0.0",
                 "write-file-atomic": "^5.0.1",
@@ -4264,14 +4262,6 @@
             "version": "1.0.1",
             "license": "MIT"
         },
-        "node_modules/slugify": {
-            "version": "1.6.6",
-            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/slugify/-/slugify-1.6.6.tgz",
-            "integrity": "sha512-h+z7HKHYXj6wJU+AnS/+IH8Uh9fdcX1Lrhg1/VMdf9PwoBQXFcXiAdsy2tSK0P6gKwJLXp02r90ahUCqHk9rrw==",
-            "engines": {
-                "node": ">=8.0.0"
-            }
-        },
         "node_modules/statuses": {
             "version": "2.0.1",
             "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0071f3337..8a18dc940 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@
         "sanitize-filename": "^1.6.3",
         "sillytavern-transformers": "^2.14.6",
         "simple-git": "^3.19.1",
-        "slugify": "^1.6.6",
-        "uuid": "^9.0.1",
         "vectra": "^0.2.2",
         "wavefile": "^11.0.0",
         "write-file-atomic": "^5.0.1",
diff --git a/public/scripts/templates/admin.html b/public/scripts/templates/admin.html
index ed9ed7470..6519e76f1 100644
--- a/public/scripts/templates/admin.html
+++ b/public/scripts/templates/admin.html
@@ -72,23 +72,23 @@
     </div>
     <div class="navTab registerNewUserBlock" style="display: none;">
         <form class="flex-container flexFlowColumn flexGap10 userCreateForm" action="javascript:void(0);">
-            <div class="flex-container flexNoGap">
-                <span data-i18n="User Handle:">User Handle:</span>
-                <span class="warning">*</span>
-                <input name="handle" class="text_pole" placeholder="Lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes only." type="text" pattern="[a-z0-9-]+">
-            </div>
             <div class="flex-container flexNoGap">
                 <span data-i18n="Display Name:">Display Name:</span>
                 <span class="warning">*</span>
-                <input name="_name" class="text_pole" type="text" placeholder="e.g. John" autocomplete="username">
+                <input name="_name" class="createUserDisplayName text_pole" type="text" placeholder="e.g. John Snow" autocomplete="username">
+            </div>
+            <div class="flex-container flexNoGap">
+                <span data-i18n="User Handle:">User Handle:</span>
+                <span class="warning">*</span>
+                <input name="handle" class="createUserHandle text_pole" placeholder="e.g. john-snow (lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes only)" type="text" pattern="[a-z0-9-]+">
             </div>
             <div class="flex-container flexNoGap">
                 <span data-i18n="Password:">Password:</span>
-                <input name="password" class="text_pole" type="password" placeholder="[ No password ]" autocomplete="new-password">
+                <input name="password" class="createUserPassword text_pole" type="password" placeholder="[ No password ]" autocomplete="new-password">
             </div>
             <div class="flex-container flexNoGap">
                 <span data-i18n="Confirm Password:">Confirm Password:</span>
-                <input name="confirm" class="text_pole" type="password" placeholder="[ No password ]" autocomplete="new-password">
+                <input name="confirm" class="createUserConfirmPassword text_pole" type="password" placeholder="[ No password ]" autocomplete="new-password">
             </div>
             <span data-i18n="This will create a new subfolder...">
                 This will create a new subfolder in the /data/ directory with the user's handle as the folder name.
diff --git a/public/scripts/user.js b/public/scripts/user.js
index 27ebf2e01..3917fa910 100644
--- a/public/scripts/user.js
+++ b/public/scripts/user.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { getRequestHeaders, renderTemplate } from '../script.js';
+import { getRequestHeaders } from '../script.js';
 import { POPUP_RESULT, POPUP_TYPE, callGenericPopup } from './popup.js';
+import { renderTemplateAsync } from './templates.js';
 import { humanFileSize } from './utils.js';
 
 /**
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@ async function backupUserData(handle, callback) {
  */
 async function changePassword(handle, callback) {
     try {
-        const template = $(renderTemplate('changePassword'));
+        const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('changePassword'));
         template.find('.currentPasswordBlock').toggle(!isAdmin());
         let newPassword = '';
         let confirmPassword = '';
@@ -313,6 +314,11 @@ async function changePassword(handle, callback) {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Delete a user.
+ * @param {string} handle User handle
+ * @param {function} callback Success callback
+ */
 async function deleteUser(handle, callback) {
     try {
         if (handle === currentUser.handle) {
@@ -323,7 +329,7 @@ async function deleteUser(handle, callback) {
         let purge = false;
         let confirmHandle = '';
 
-        const template = $(renderTemplate('deleteUser'));
+        const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('deleteUser'));
         template.find('#deleteUserName').text(handle);
         template.find('input[name="deleteUserData"]').on('input', function () {
             purge = $(this).is(':checked');
@@ -370,7 +376,7 @@ async function deleteUser(handle, callback) {
 async function resetSettings(handle, callback) {
     try {
         let password = '';
-        const template = $(renderTemplate('resetSettings'));
+        const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('resetSettings'));
         template.find('input[name="password"]').on('input', function () {
             password = String($(this).val());
         });
@@ -407,7 +413,7 @@ async function resetSettings(handle, callback) {
  */
 async function changeName(handle, name, callback) {
     try {
-        const template = $(renderTemplate('changeName'));
+        const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('changeName'));
         const result = await callGenericPopup(template, POPUP_TYPE.INPUT, name, { okButton: 'Change', cancelButton: 'Cancel', wide: false, large: false });
 
         if (!result) {
@@ -556,7 +562,7 @@ async function makeSnapshot(callback) {
  * Open the settings snapshots view.
  */
 async function viewSettingsSnapshots() {
-    const template = $(renderTemplate('snapshotsView'));
+    const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('snapshotsView'));
     async function renderSnapshots() {
         const snapshots = await getSnapshots();
         template.find('.snapshotList').empty();
@@ -589,7 +595,7 @@ async function viewSettingsSnapshots() {
 
 async function openUserProfile() {
     await getCurrentUser();
-    const template = $(renderTemplate('userProfile'));
+    const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('userProfile'));
     template.find('.userName').text(currentUser.name);
     template.find('.userHandle').text(currentUser.handle);
     template.find('.avatar img').attr('src', currentUser.avatar);
@@ -654,7 +660,7 @@ async function openAdminPanel() {
         }
     }
 
-    const template = $(renderTemplate('admin'));
+    const template = $(await renderTemplateAsync('admin'));
 
     template.find('.adminNav > button').on('click', function () {
         const target = String($(this).data('target-tab'));
@@ -663,6 +669,11 @@ async function openAdminPanel() {
         });
     });
 
+    template.find('.createUserDisplayName').on('input', async function () {
+        const slug = await slugify(String($(this).val()));
+        template.find('.createUserHandle').val(slug);
+    });
+
     template.find('.userCreateForm').on('submit', function (event) {
         if (!(event.target instanceof HTMLFormElement)) {
             return;
@@ -692,6 +703,30 @@ async function logout() {
     window.location.reload();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Runs a text through the slugify API endpoint.
+ * @param {string} text Text to slugify
+ * @returns {Promise<string>} Slugified text
+ */
+async function slugify(text) {
+    try {
+        const response = await fetch('/api/users/slugify', {
+            method: 'POST',
+            headers: getRequestHeaders(),
+            body: JSON.stringify({ text }),
+        });
+
+        if (!response.ok) {
+            throw new Error('Failed to slugify text');
+        }
+
+        return response.text();
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Error slugifying text:', error);
+        return text;
+    }
+}
+
 jQuery(() => {
     $('#logout_button').on('click', () => {
         logout();
diff --git a/src/constants.js b/src/constants.js
index c4a2f68cb..256687b7f 100644
--- a/src/constants.js
+++ b/src/constants.js
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ const USER_DIRECTORY_TEMPLATE = Object.freeze({
  * @readonly
  */
 const DEFAULT_USER = Object.freeze({
-    uuid: '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000',
-    handle: 'user0',
+    handle: 'default-user',
     name: 'User',
     created: Date.now(),
     password: '',
diff --git a/src/endpoints/users-admin.js b/src/endpoints/users-admin.js
index c57b8b98b..5d7879f64 100644
--- a/src/endpoints/users-admin.js
+++ b/src/endpoints/users-admin.js
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 const fsPromises = require('fs').promises;
 const storage = require('node-persist');
 const express = require('express');
-const slugify = require('slugify').default;
-const uuid = require('uuid');
+const lodash = require('lodash');
 const { jsonParser } = require('../express-common');
 const { checkForNewContent } = require('./content-manager');
 const {
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ const {
     getUserDirectories,
     ensurePublicDirectoriesExist,
 } = require('../users');
+const { DEFAULT_USER } = require('../constants');
 
 const router = express.Router();
 
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ router.post('/create', requireAdminMiddleware, jsonParser, async (request, respo
         }
 
         const handles = await getAllUserHandles();
-        const handle = slugify(String(request.body.handle).toLowerCase(), { lower: true, trim: true, remove: /[^a-z0-9-]/g });
+        const handle = lodash.kebabCase(String(request.body.handle).toLowerCase().trim());
 
         if (!handle) {
             console.log('Create user failed: Invalid handle');
@@ -173,7 +173,6 @@ router.post('/create', requireAdminMiddleware, jsonParser, async (request, respo
         const password = request.body.password ? getPasswordHash(request.body.password, salt) : '';
 
         const newUser = {
-            uuid: uuid.v4(),
             handle: handle,
             name: request.body.name || 'Anonymous',
             created: Date.now(),
@@ -209,6 +208,11 @@ router.post('/delete', requireAdminMiddleware, jsonParser, async (request, respo
             return response.status(400).json({ error: 'Cannot delete yourself' });
         }
 
+        if (request.body.handle === DEFAULT_USER.handle) {
+            console.log('Delete user failed: Cannot delete default user');
+            return response.status(400).json({ error: 'Sorry, but the default user cannot be deleted. It is required as a fallback.' });
+        }
+
         await storage.removeItem(toKey(request.body.handle));
 
         if (request.body.purge) {
@@ -224,6 +228,22 @@ router.post('/delete', requireAdminMiddleware, jsonParser, async (request, respo
     }
 });
 
+router.post('/slugify', requireAdminMiddleware, jsonParser, async (request, response) => {
+    try {
+        if (!request.body.text) {
+            console.log('Slugify failed: Missing required fields');
+            return response.status(400).json({ error: 'Missing required fields' });
+        }
+
+        const text = lodash.kebabCase(String(request.body.text).toLowerCase().trim());
+
+        return response.send(text);
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Slugify failed:', error);
+        return response.sendStatus(500);
+    }
+});
+
 module.exports = {
     router,
 };
diff --git a/src/users.js b/src/users.js
index 6984d2b32..1290c67ca 100644
--- a/src/users.js
+++ b/src/users.js
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ const STORAGE_KEYS = {
 
 /**
  * @typedef {Object} User
- * @property {string} uuid - The user's id
  * @property {string} handle - The user's short handle. Used for directories and other references
  * @property {string} name - The user's name. Displayed in the UI
  * @property {number} created - The timestamp when the user was created