diff --git a/freepost/__init__.py b/freepost/__init__.py
index 08510dd..24db177 100755
--- a/freepost/__init__.py
+++ b/freepost/__init__.py
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ def update_user ():
     if about is None or email is None:
         redirect (application.get_url ('user'))
     
-    # TODO check unique value of emails
+    # Update user info in the database
     database.update_user (user['id'], about, email, False)
     
     redirect (application.get_url ('user'))
diff --git a/freepost/database.py b/freepost/database.py
index 0923433..c0ab7f9 100644
--- a/freepost/database.py
+++ b/freepost/database.py
@@ -281,21 +281,35 @@ def get_user_replies (user_id):
 def update_user (user_id, about, email, email_notifications):
     cursor = db.cursor (MySQLdb.cursors.DictCursor)
     
+    # Update user info, but not email address
     cursor.execute (
         """
         UPDATE user
         SET about = %(about)s,
-            email = %(email)s,
             email_notifications = %(notifications)s
         WHERE id = %(user)s
         """,
         {
             'about': about,
-            'email': email,
             'notifications': email_notifications,
             'user': user_id
         }
     )
+        
+    # Update email address
+    # IGNORE update if the email address is already specified. This is
+    # necessary to avoid an "duplicate key" exception when updating value.
+    cursor.execute (
+        """
+        UPDATE IGNORE user
+        SET email = %(email)s
+        WHERE id = %(user)s
+        """,
+        {
+            'email': email,
+            'user': user_id
+        }
+    )
 
 # Set user replies as read
 def set_replies_as_read (user_id):