diff --git a/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/search.rs b/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/search.rs
index 98e6247..16c0745 100644
--- a/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/search.rs
+++ b/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/search.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ pub async fn search_thoughts(
     // We must join with the user table to get the author's username
     let thoughts_with_authors = thought::Entity::find()
         .column_as(user::Column::Username, "author_username")
+        .column_as(user::Column::DisplayName, "author_display_name")
         .join(JoinType::InnerJoin, thought::Relation::User.def())
         .filter(Expr::cust_with_values(
             "thought.search_document @@ websearch_to_tsquery('english', $1)",
diff --git a/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/thought.rs b/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/thought.rs
index 24b237c..d60680f 100644
--- a/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/thought.rs
+++ b/thoughts-backend/app/src/persistence/thought.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ pub async fn get_thoughts_by_user(
         .column(thought::Column::CreatedAt)
         .column(thought::Column::AuthorId)
         .column(thought::Column::Visibility)
+        .column_as(user::Column::DisplayName, "author_display_name")
         .column_as(user::Column::Username, "author_username")
         .join(JoinType::InnerJoin, thought::Relation::User.def())
         .filter(apply_visibility_filter(user_id, viewer_id, &friend_ids))
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ pub async fn get_feed_for_user(
         .column(thought::Column::Visibility)
         .column(thought::Column::AuthorId)
         .column_as(user::Column::Username, "author_username")
+        .column_as(user::Column::DisplayName, "author_display_name")
         .join(JoinType::InnerJoin, thought::Relation::User.def())
         .filter(
             Condition::any().add(following_ids.iter().fold(
@@ -173,6 +175,7 @@ pub async fn get_thoughts_by_tag_name(
         .column(thought::Column::AuthorId)
         .column(thought::Column::Visibility)
         .column_as(user::Column::Username, "author_username")
+        .column_as(user::Column::DisplayName, "author_display_name")
         .join(JoinType::InnerJoin, thought::Relation::User.def())
         .join(JoinType::InnerJoin, thought::Relation::ThoughtTag.def())
         .join(JoinType::InnerJoin, thought_tag::Relation::Tag.def())
@@ -288,6 +291,7 @@ pub async fn get_thought_with_replies(
             ThoughtThreadSchema {
                 id: thought_schema.id,
                 author_username: thought_schema.author_username.clone(),
+                author_display_name: thought_schema.author_display_name.clone(),
                 content: thought_schema.content.clone(),
                 visibility: thought_schema.visibility.clone(),
                 reply_to_id: thought_schema.reply_to_id,
diff --git a/thoughts-backend/models/src/schemas/thought.rs b/thoughts-backend/models/src/schemas/thought.rs
index 2504551..f54ce03 100644
--- a/thoughts-backend/models/src/schemas/thought.rs
+++ b/thoughts-backend/models/src/schemas/thought.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub struct ThoughtSchema {
     pub id: Uuid,
     #[schema(example = "frutiger")]
     pub author_username: String,
+    pub author_display_name: Option<String>,
     #[schema(example = "This is my first thought! #welcome")]
     pub content: String,
     pub visibility: Visibility,
@@ -23,15 +24,10 @@ pub struct ThoughtSchema {
 
 impl ThoughtSchema {
     pub fn from_models(thought: &thought::Model, author: &user::Model) -> Self {
-        let author_username = if let Some(display_name) = author.display_name.clone() {
-            display_name
-        } else {
-            author.username.clone()
-        };
-
         Self {
             id: thought.id,
-            author_username,
+            author_username: author.username.clone(),
+            author_display_name: author.display_name.clone(),
             content: thought.content.clone(),
             visibility: thought.visibility.clone(),
             reply_to_id: thought.reply_to_id,
@@ -60,6 +56,7 @@ pub struct ThoughtWithAuthor {
     pub visibility: Visibility,
     pub author_id: Uuid,
     pub author_username: String,
+    pub author_display_name: Option<String>,
     pub reply_to_id: Option<Uuid>,
 }
 
@@ -68,6 +65,7 @@ impl From<ThoughtWithAuthor> for ThoughtSchema {
         Self {
             id: model.id,
             author_username: model.author_username,
+            author_display_name: model.author_display_name,
             content: model.content,
             created_at: model.created_at.into(),
             reply_to_id: model.reply_to_id,
@@ -81,6 +79,7 @@ impl From<ThoughtWithAuthor> for ThoughtSchema {
 pub struct ThoughtThreadSchema {
     pub id: Uuid,
     pub author_username: String,
+    pub author_display_name: Option<String>,
     pub content: String,
     pub visibility: Visibility,
     pub reply_to_id: Option<Uuid>,
diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-card.tsx b/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-card.tsx
index 15a873a..fd2255d 100644
--- a/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-card.tsx
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-card.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ interface ThoughtCardProps {
   thought: Thought;
   author: {
     username: string;
+    displayName?: string | null;
     avatarUrl?: string | null;
   };
   currentUser: Me | null;
@@ -112,9 +113,14 @@ export function ThoughtCard({
             href={`/users/${author.username}`}
             className="flex items-center gap-4 text-shadow-md"
           >
-            <UserAvatar src={author.avatarUrl} alt={author.username} />
+            <UserAvatar
+              src={author.avatarUrl}
+              alt={author.displayName || author.username}
+            />
             <div className="flex flex-col">
-              <span className="font-bold">{author.username}</span>
+              <span className="font-bold">
+                {author.displayName || author.username}
+              </span>
               <span className="text-sm text-muted-foreground text-shadow-sm">
                 {timeAgo}
               </span>
diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-list.tsx b/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-list.tsx
index d927ce1..d7c8aa7 100644
--- a/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-list.tsx
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-list.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export function ThoughtList({
           {thoughts.map((thought) => {
             const author = {
               username: thought.authorUsername,
-              avatarUrl: null,
+              displayName: thought.authorDisplayName,
               ...authorDetails.get(thought.authorUsername),
             };
             return (
diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-thread.tsx b/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-thread.tsx
index 4c2420b..e4c393a 100644
--- a/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-thread.tsx
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/components/thought-thread.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export function ThoughtThread({
 }: ThoughtThreadProps) {
   const author = {
     username: thought.authorUsername,
-    avatarUrl: null,
+    displayName: thought.authorDisplayName,
     ...authorDetails.get(thought.authorUsername),
   };
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function ThoughtThread({
           className="pl-6 border-l-2 border-primary border-dashed ml-6 flex flex-col gap-4 pt-4"
         >
           {thought.replies.map((reply) => (
-            <ThoughtThread // RECURSIVE CALL
+            <ThoughtThread
               key={reply.id}
               thought={reply}
               authorDetails={authorDetails}
diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts b/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts
index bb33815..a777390 100644
--- a/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export const MeSchema = z.object({
 export const ThoughtSchema = z.object({
   id: z.uuid(),
   authorUsername: z.string(),
+  authorDisplayName: z.string().nullable(),
   content: z.string(),
   visibility: z.enum(["Public", "FriendsOnly", "Private"]),
   replyToId: z.uuid().nullable(),
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ export const CreateApiKeySchema = z.object({
 export const ThoughtThreadSchema: z.ZodType<{
   id: string;
   authorUsername: string;
+  authorDisplayName: string | null;
   content: string;
   visibility: "Public" | "FriendsOnly" | "Private";
   replyToId: string | null;
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ export const ThoughtThreadSchema: z.ZodType<{
 }> = z.object({
   id: z.uuid(),
   authorUsername: z.string(),
+  authorDisplayName: z.string().nullable(),
   content: z.string(),
   visibility: z.enum(["Public", "FriendsOnly", "Private"]),
   replyToId: z.uuid().nullable(),