diff --git a/community/community/doctype/community_member/community_member.py b/community/community/doctype/community_member/community_member.py
index dd7bed8b..0c1ecdb3 100644
--- a/community/community/doctype/community_member/community_member.py
+++ b/community/community/doctype/community_member/community_member.py
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ class CommunityMember(Document):
                 'member_type': 'Mentor'
             })
 
+    def get_photo_url(self):
+        return frappe.db.get_value("User", self.email, ["user_image"])
+
     def get_palette(self):
         palette = [
             ['--orange-avatar-bg', '--orange-avatar-color'],
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ def create_member_from_user(doc, method):
     if ( doc.username and  username_exists(doc.username)) or not doc.username:
         username = create_username_from_email(doc.email)
 
-    elif len(doc.username) < 4:
+    elif len(doc.username) < 4 and doc.send_welcome_email == 1:
         username = adjust_username(doc.username)
 
     if username_exists(username):
diff --git a/community/community/widgets/Avatar.html b/community/community/widgets/Avatar.html
index e0c88cf5..fac236df 100644
--- a/community/community/widgets/Avatar.html
+++ b/community/community/widgets/Avatar.html
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {% set color = member.get_palette() %}
 <a href="/{{member.username}}">
 <span class="avatar {{ avatar_class }}" title="{{ member.full_name }}">
-  {% if member.photo %}
-  <img class="avatar-frame standard-image" src="{{ member.photo }}" title="{{ member.full_name }}">
+  {% if member.get_photo_url() %}
+  <img class="avatar-frame standard-image" src="{{ member.get_photo_url() }}" title="{{ member.full_name }}">
   </img>
   {% else %}
   <span class="avatar-frame standard-image" title="{{ member.full_name }}"
diff --git a/community/lms/doctype/invite_request/invite_request.py b/community/lms/doctype/invite_request/invite_request.py
index c271c740..00bc18c2 100644
--- a/community/lms/doctype/invite_request/invite_request.py
+++ b/community/lms/doctype/invite_request/invite_request.py
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ class InviteRequest(Document):
 @frappe.whitelist(allow_guest=True)
 def create_invite_request(invite_email):
 
+    if not frappe.utils.validate_email_address(invite_email):
+        return "invalid email"
+
     if frappe.db.exists("User", invite_email):
         return "user"
 
diff --git a/community/lms/widgets/RequestInvite.html b/community/lms/widgets/RequestInvite.html
index ce3d8799..053cbcbc 100644
--- a/community/lms/widgets/RequestInvite.html
+++ b/community/lms/widgets/RequestInvite.html
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
       <input class="form-control w-100 mr-5 mb-5 mt-2" id="invite_email" type="email" placeholder="Email Address">
     </div>
     <div class="col-md">
-      <a type="submit" id="submit-invite-request" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" href="#" role="button">Request Invite</a>
+      <a type="submit" id="submit-invite-request" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" role="button">Request
+        Invite</a>
     </div>
   </div>
 </form>
@@ -18,27 +19,44 @@
           invite_email: invite_email
         },
         callback: (data) => {
-          $("#invite-request-form").hide();
+          if (data.message == "invalid email") {
+            $(".email-validation") && $(".email-validation").remove();
+            if (invite_email) {
+              var message = `<div>
+              <small class="email-validation" style="color: red;">${invite_email} is not a valid email address.</small>
+            </div>`;
+            }
+            else {
+              var message = `<div>
+              <small class="email-validation" style="color: red;">Please enter an email address.</small>
+            </div>`;
+            }
 
-          if (data.message == "OK") {
-            var message = `<div>
+            $("#invite-request-form").append(message);
+          }
+          else {
+            $("#invite-request-form").hide();
+
+            if (data.message == "OK") {
+              var message = `<div>
               <p class="lead alert alert-secondary">Thanks for your interest in Mon School. We have recorded your interest and we will get back to you shortly.</p>
             </div>`;
-          }
+            }
 
-          else if (data.message == "invite") {
-            var message = `<div>
+            else if (data.message == "invite") {
+              var message = `<div>
               <p class="lead alert alert-secondary">Email ${invite_email} has already been used to request an invitation.</p>
             </div>`;
-          }
+            }
 
-          else if (data.message == "user") {
-            var message = `<div>
+            else if (data.message == "user") {
+              var message = `<div>
               <p class="lead alert alert-secondary">Looks like there is already an account with email ${invite_email}. Would you like to <a href="/login">login</a>?</p>
             </div>`;
-          }
+            }
 
-          $(".jumbotron").append(message);
+            $(".jumbotron").append(message);
+          }
         }
       })
     })
diff --git a/community/www/courses/about/index.html b/community/www/courses/about/index.html
index 1ea0ab1f..99eb138f 100644
--- a/community/www/courses/about/index.html
+++ b/community/www/courses/about/index.html
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@
 
   {% for m in batch.get_mentors() %}
     <div>
-      {% if m.photo_url %}
-      <img class="profile-photo" src="{{m.photo_url}}">
-      {% endif %}
+      {{ widgets.Avatar(member=m, avatar_class="avatar-medium" ) }}
       <span class="instructor-title">{{m.full_name}}</span>
     </div>
   {% endfor %}
diff --git a/community/www/courses/course.html b/community/www/courses/course.html
index ff51a3fc..7e118055 100644
--- a/community/www/courses/course.html
+++ b/community/www/courses/course.html
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@
       {% if can_manage %}
         <a href="/courses/{{course.name}}/{{batch.name}}/about" class="btn btn-secondary">Manage</a>
       {% else %}
-        <button class="join-batch" data-batch="{{ batch.name | urlencode }}">Join this Batch</button>
+        <button class="join-batch" data-batch="{{ batch.name | urlencode }}"
+        data-course="{{ course.name | urlencode }}">Join this Batch</button>
       {% endif %}
     </div>
   </div>
diff --git a/community/www/courses/course.js b/community/www/courses/course.js
index 3ac859b8..ae77bdb0 100644
--- a/community/www/courses/course.js
+++ b/community/www/courses/course.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ frappe.ready(() => {
 	$("#apply-now").click((e) => {
     e.preventDefault();
 		if (frappe.session.user == "Guest") {
-			window.location.href = "/login";
+			window.location.href = `/login?redirect-to=/courses/${$(e.currentTarget).attr("data-course")}`;
 			return;
 		}
 		frappe.call({
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ frappe.ready(() => {
 	$(".join-batch").click((e) => {
     e.preventDefault()
 		if (frappe.session.user == "Guest") {
-			window.location.href = "/login";
+			window.location.href = `/login?redirect-to=/courses/${$(e.currentTarget).attr("data-course")}`;
 			return;
 		}
 		batch = decodeURIComponent($(e.currentTarget).attr("data-batch"))
@@ -70,4 +70,3 @@ frappe.ready(() => {
 		})
 	})
 })
-