diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index b2e792d35..1aef9f41e 100755
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -451,14 +451,13 @@ class ApiController(RedditController, OAuth2ResourceController):
                 responder.has_errors('ratelimit', errors.RATELIMIT) or
                 (not g.disable_captcha and bad_captcha)):
             
-            user = register(name, password)
+            user = register(name, password, request.ip)
             VRatelimit.ratelimit(rate_ip = True, prefix = "rate_register_")
 
             #anything else we know (email, languages)?
             if email:
                 user.email = email
 
-            user.registration_ip = request.ip
             user.pref_lang = c.lang
             if c.content_langs == 'all':
                 user.pref_content_langs = 'all'
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/account.py b/r2/r2/models/account.py
index a1a7bb91f..6a6496f00 100644
--- a/r2/r2/models/account.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/account.py
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ def change_password(user, newpassword):
     return True
 
 #TODO reset the cache
-def register(name, password):
+def register(name, password, registration_ip):
     try:
         a = Account._by_name(name)
         raise AccountExists
@@ -758,6 +758,7 @@ def register(name, password):
                     password = bcrypt_password(password))
         # new accounts keep the profanity filter settings until opting out
         a.pref_no_profanity = True
+        a.registration_ip = registration_ip
         a._commit()
 
         #clear the caches
diff --git a/r2/r2/models/populatedb.py b/r2/r2/models/populatedb.py
index eabd2f7af..594d1810e 100644
--- a/r2/r2/models/populatedb.py
+++ b/r2/r2/models/populatedb.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def populate(num_srs = 10, num_users = 1000, num_links = 100, num_comments = 20,
     try:
         a = Account._by_name(g.system_user)
     except NotFound:
-        a = register(g.system_user, "password")
+        a = register(g.system_user, "password", "127.0.0.1")
 
     srs = []
     for i in range(num_srs):
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def populate(num_srs = 10, num_users = 1000, num_links = 100, num_comments = 20,
                              in range(int(random.uniform(1, 10))) ])
         name = 'test_' + name_ext
         try:
-            a = register(name, name)
+            a = register(name, name, "127.0.0.1")
         except AccountExists:
             a = Account._by_name(name)
         accounts.append(a)