diff --git a/src/newusers.c b/src/newusers.c
index bd24f7c72..044ce32e1 100644
--- a/src/newusers.c
+++ b/src/newusers.c
@@ -386,10 +386,16 @@ static int add_user (const char *name, uid_t uid, gid_t gid)
 	struct passwd pwent;
 
 	/* Check if this is a valid user name */
-	if (!is_valid_user_name (name)) {
-		fprintf (stderr,
-		         _("%s: invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
-		         Prog, name);
+	if (!is_valid_user_name(name)) {
+		if (errno == EINVAL) {
+			fprintf(stderr,
+			        _("%s: invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
+			        Prog, name);
+		} else {
+			fprintf(stderr,
+			        _("%s: invalid user name '%s'\n"),
+			        Prog, name);
+		}
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/pwck.c b/src/pwck.c
index 70ff5e68c..2df5b6c6f 100644
--- a/src/pwck.c
+++ b/src/pwck.c
@@ -471,9 +471,14 @@ static void check_pw_file (int *errors, bool *changed)
 		 * Check for invalid usernames.  --marekm
 		 */
 
-		if (!is_valid_user_name (pwd->pw_name)) {
-			printf (_("invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
-					pwd->pw_name);
+		if (!is_valid_user_name(pwd->pw_name)) {
+			if (errno == EINVAL) {
+				printf(_("invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
+				       pwd->pw_name);
+			} else {
+				printf(_("invalid user name '%s'\n"),
+				       pwd->pw_name);
+			}
 			*errors += 1;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/useradd.c b/src/useradd.c
index dff647af7..02c500d0c 100644
--- a/src/useradd.c
+++ b/src/useradd.c
@@ -1523,10 +1523,16 @@ static void process_flags (int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 
 		user_name = argv[optind];
-		if (!is_valid_user_name (user_name)) {
-			fprintf (stderr,
-			         _("%s: invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
-			         Prog, user_name);
+		if (!is_valid_user_name(user_name)) {
+			if (errno == EINVAL) {
+				fprintf(stderr,
+				        _("%s: invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
+				        Prog, user_name);
+			} else {
+				fprintf(stderr,
+				        _("%s: invalid user name '%s'\n"),
+				        Prog, user_name);
+			}
 #ifdef WITH_AUDIT
 			audit_logger (AUDIT_ADD_USER, Prog,
 			              "adding user",
diff --git a/src/usermod.c b/src/usermod.c
index c5d7bbe51..0f7f1e235 100644
--- a/src/usermod.c
+++ b/src/usermod.c
@@ -1116,10 +1116,16 @@ process_flags(int argc, char **argv)
 				usage (E_SUCCESS);
 				/*@notreached@*/break;
 			case 'l':
-				if (!is_valid_user_name (optarg)) {
-					fprintf (stderr,
-					         _("%s: invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
-					         Prog, optarg);
+				if (!is_valid_user_name(optarg)) {
+					if (errno == EINVAL) {
+						fprintf(stderr,
+						        _("%s: invalid user name '%s': use --badname to ignore\n"),
+						        Prog, optarg);
+					} else {
+						fprintf(stderr,
+						        _("%s: invalid user name '%s'\n"),
+						        Prog, optarg);
+					}
 					exit (E_BAD_ARG);
 				}
 				lflg = true;