diff --git a/avatar/urls.py b/avatar/urls.py
index 0ddc942..3894501 100644
--- a/avatar/urls.py
+++ b/avatar/urls.py
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('avatar.views',
     url('^add/$', 'add', name='avatar_add'),
     url('^change/$', 'change', name='avatar_change'),
     url('^delete/$', 'delete', name='avatar_delete'),
-    url('^render_primary/(?P<user>[\+\w]+)/(?P<size>[\d]+)/$', 'render_primary', name='avatar_render_primary'),    
+    url('^render_primary/(?P<user>[\w\d\.\-_]{3,30})/(?P<size>[\d]+)/$', 'render_primary', name='avatar_render_primary'),    
 )
diff --git a/avatar/views.py b/avatar/views.py
index 68ae338..1ae46e7 100644
--- a/avatar/views.py
+++ b/avatar/views.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
 from django.template import RequestContext
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.contrib import messages
 
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
 
@@ -68,8 +69,7 @@ def add(request, extra_context=None, next_override=None,
             image_file = request.FILES['avatar']
             avatar.avatar.save(image_file.name, image_file)
             avatar.save()
-            request.user.message_set.create(
-                message=_("Successfully uploaded a new avatar."))
+            messages.success(request, _("Successfully uploaded a new avatar."))
             avatar_updated.send(sender=Avatar, user=request.user, avatar=avatar)
             return HttpResponseRedirect(next_override or _get_next(request))
     return render_to_response(
@@ -106,8 +106,7 @@ def change(request, extra_context=None, next_override=None,
             avatar.primary = True
             avatar.save()
             updated = True
-            request.user.message_set.create(
-                message=_("Successfully updated your avatar."))
+            messages.success(request, _("Successfully updated your avatar."))
         if updated:
             avatar_updated.send(sender=Avatar, user=request.user, avatar=avatar)
         return HttpResponseRedirect(next_override or _get_next(request))
@@ -143,8 +142,7 @@ def delete(request, extra_context=None, next_override=None, *args, **kwargs):
                         avatar_updated.send(sender=Avatar, user=request.user, avatar=avatar)
                         break
             Avatar.objects.filter(id__in=ids).delete()
-            request.user.message_set.create(
-                message=_("Successfully deleted the requested avatars."))
+            messages.success(request, _("Successfully deleted the requested avatars."))
             return HttpResponseRedirect(next_override or _get_next(request))
     return render_to_response(
         'avatar/confirm_delete.html',