diff --git a/server/controllers/api/users/index.ts b/server/controllers/api/users/index.ts
index 869f31d84..5ae0dc7a7 100644
--- a/server/controllers/api/users/index.ts
+++ b/server/controllers/api/users/index.ts
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ async function createUser (req: express.Request, res: express.Response) {
 
   const { user, account, videoChannel } = await createUserAccountAndChannelAndPlaylist({
     userToCreate,
-    channelNames: { name: body.channelName, displayName: body.channelName }
+    channelNames: body.channelName && { name: body.channelName, displayName: body.channelName }
   })
 
   auditLogger.create(getAuditIdFromRes(res), new UserAuditView(user.toFormattedJSON()))
diff --git a/shared/models/users/user-create.model.ts b/shared/models/users/user-create.model.ts
index 601c531cd..ddc71dd59 100644
--- a/shared/models/users/user-create.model.ts
+++ b/shared/models/users/user-create.model.ts
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ export interface UserCreate {
   videoQuotaDaily: number
   role: UserRole
   adminFlags?: UserAdminFlag
-  channelName: string
+  channelName?: string
 }