diff --git a/modules/core/server/controllers/errors.server.controller.js b/modules/core/server/controllers/errors.server.controller.js
index f0b96bdfb7..003d4aab5b 100644
--- a/modules/core/server/controllers/errors.server.controller.js
+++ b/modules/core/server/controllers/errors.server.controller.js
@@ -7,7 +7,17 @@ var getUniqueErrorMessage = function (err) {
   var output;
 
   try {
-    var fieldName = err.errmsg.substring(err.errmsg.lastIndexOf('.$') + 2, err.errmsg.lastIndexOf('_1'));
+    var begin = 0;
+    if (err.errmsg.lastIndexOf('.$') !== -1) {
+      // support mongodb <= 3.0 (default: MMapv1 engine)
+      // "errmsg" : "E11000 duplicate key error index: mean-dev.users.$email_1 dup key: { : \"test@user.com\" }"
+      begin = err.errmsg.lastIndexOf('.$') + 2;
+    } else {
+      // support mongodb >= 3.2 (default: WiredTiger engine)
+      // "errmsg" : "E11000 duplicate key error collection: mean-dev.users index: email_1 dup key: { : \"test@user.com\" }"
+      begin = err.errmsg.lastIndexOf('index: ') + 7;
+    }
+    var fieldName = err.errmsg.substring(begin, err.errmsg.lastIndexOf('_1'));
     output = fieldName.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + fieldName.slice(1) + ' already exists';
 
   } catch (ex) {
diff --git a/modules/users/tests/server/user.server.routes.tests.js b/modules/users/tests/server/user.server.routes.tests.js
index abd9795dc2..5d57c65e3b 100644
--- a/modules/users/tests/server/user.server.routes.tests.js
+++ b/modules/users/tests/server/user.server.routes.tests.js
@@ -742,10 +742,7 @@ describe('User CRUD tests', function () {
               }
 
               // Call the assertion callback
-              // MongoDB changed document validation output in version 3.2:
-              // >= 3.2 11000 duplicate key error collection: mean-test.users index: username already exists
-              // < 3.2 Username already exists
-              userInfoRes.body.message.toLowerCase().should.containEql('username already exists');
+              userInfoRes.body.message.should.equal('Username already exists');
 
               return done();
             });
@@ -797,10 +794,7 @@ describe('User CRUD tests', function () {
               }
 
               // Call the assertion callback
-              // MongoDB changed document validation output in version 3.2:
-              // >= 3.2 11000 duplicate key error collection: mean-test.users index: email already exists
-              // < 3.2 Email already exists
-              userInfoRes.body.message.toLowerCase().should.containEql('email already exists');
+              userInfoRes.body.message.should.equal('Email already exists');
 
               return done();
             });