diff --git a/app/src/components/create_user.rs b/app/src/components/create_user.rs
index a5cca69..c50777e 100644
--- a/app/src/components/create_user.rs
+++ b/app/src/components/create_user.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ impl CommonComponent<CreateUserForm> for CreateUserForm {
                 let req = create_user::Variables {
                     user: create_user::CreateUserInput {
                         id: model.username,
-                        email: model.email,
+                        email: Some(model.email),
                         displayName: to_option(model.display_name),
                         firstName: to_option(model.first_name),
                         lastName: to_option(model.last_name),
diff --git a/migration-tool/src/ldap.rs b/migration-tool/src/ldap.rs
index 60ff8dc..9fdad3a 100644
--- a/migration-tool/src/ldap.rs
+++ b/migration-tool/src/ldap.rs
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ impl TryFrom<ResultEntry> for User {
         Ok(User::new(
             crate::lldap::CreateUserInput {
                 id,
-                email,
+                email: Some(email),
                 display_name,
                 first_name,
                 last_name,
diff --git a/schema.graphql b/schema.graphql
index 6627ebd..f744e56 100644
--- a/schema.graphql
+++ b/schema.graphql
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ type Query {
 "The details required to create a user."
 input CreateUserInput {
   id: String!
-  email: String!
+  email: String
   displayName: String
   firstName: String
   lastName: String
diff --git a/server/src/infra/graphql/mutation.rs b/server/src/infra/graphql/mutation.rs
index f8d414a..cb68d70 100644
--- a/server/src/infra/graphql/mutation.rs
+++ b/server/src/infra/graphql/mutation.rs
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ use crate::{
             AttributeList, BackendHandler, CreateAttributeRequest, CreateGroupRequest,
             CreateUserRequest, UpdateGroupRequest, UpdateUserRequest,
         },
+        schema::PublicSchema,
         types::{
-            AttributeName, AttributeType, AttributeValue as DomainAttributeValue, GroupId,
+            AttributeName, AttributeType, AttributeValue as DomainAttributeValue, Email, GroupId,
             JpegPhoto, LdapObjectClass, UserId,
         },
     },
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ impl<Handler: BackendHandler> Mutation<Handler> {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(PartialEq, Eq, Debug, GraphQLInputObject)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Debug, GraphQLInputObject)]
 // This conflicts with the attribute values returned by the user/group queries.
 #[graphql(name = "AttributeValueInput")]
 struct AttributeValue {
@@ -58,7 +59,8 @@ struct AttributeValue {
 /// The details required to create a user.
 pub struct CreateUserInput {
     id: String,
-    email: String,
+    // The email can be specified as an attribute, but one of the two is required.
+    email: Option<String>,
     display_name: Option<String>,
     first_name: Option<String>,
     last_name: Option<String>,
@@ -120,6 +122,44 @@ impl Success {
     }
 }
 
+struct UnpackedAttributes {
+    email: Option<Email>,
+    display_name: Option<String>,
+    attributes: Vec<DomainAttributeValue>,
+}
+
+fn unpack_attributes(
+    attributes: Vec<AttributeValue>,
+    schema: &PublicSchema,
+    is_admin: bool,
+) -> FieldResult<UnpackedAttributes> {
+    let email = attributes
+        .iter()
+        .find(|attr| attr.name == "mail")
+        .cloned()
+        .map(|attr| deserialize_attribute(&schema.get_schema().user_attributes, attr, is_admin))
+        .transpose()?
+        .map(|attr| attr.value.unwrap::<String>())
+        .map(Email::from);
+    let display_name = attributes
+        .iter()
+        .find(|attr| attr.name == "displayName")
+        .cloned()
+        .map(|attr| deserialize_attribute(&schema.get_schema().user_attributes, attr, is_admin))
+        .transpose()?
+        .map(|attr| attr.value.unwrap::<String>());
+    let attributes = attributes
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|attr| attr.name != "mail" && attr.name != "displayName")
+        .map(|attr| deserialize_attribute(&schema.get_schema().user_attributes, attr, is_admin))
+        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+    Ok(UnpackedAttributes {
+        email,
+        display_name,
+        attributes,
+    })
+}
+
 #[graphql_object(context = Context<Handler>)]
 impl<Handler: BackendHandler> Mutation<Handler> {
     async fn create_user(
@@ -143,17 +183,20 @@ impl<Handler: BackendHandler> Mutation<Handler> {
             .transpose()
             .context("Provided image is not a valid JPEG")?;
         let schema = handler.get_schema().await?;
-        let attributes = user
-            .attributes
-            .unwrap_or_default()
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|attr| deserialize_attribute(&schema.get_schema().user_attributes, attr, true))
-            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+        let UnpackedAttributes {
+            email,
+            display_name,
+            attributes,
+        } = unpack_attributes(user.attributes.unwrap_or_default(), &schema, true)?;
         handler
             .create_user(CreateUserRequest {
                 user_id: user_id.clone(),
-                email: user.email.into(),
-                display_name: user.display_name,
+                email: user
+                    .email
+                    .map(Email::from)
+                    .or(email)
+                    .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("Email is required when creating a new user"))?,
+                display_name: user.display_name.or(display_name),
                 first_name: user.first_name,
                 last_name: user.last_name,
                 avatar,
@@ -216,17 +259,17 @@ impl<Handler: BackendHandler> Mutation<Handler> {
             .transpose()
             .context("Provided image is not a valid JPEG")?;
         let schema = handler.get_schema().await?;
-        let insert_attributes = user
-            .insert_attributes
-            .unwrap_or_default()
-            .into_iter()
-            .map(|attr| deserialize_attribute(&schema.get_schema().user_attributes, attr, is_admin))
-            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+        let user_insert_attributes = user.insert_attributes.unwrap_or_default();
+        let UnpackedAttributes {
+            email,
+            display_name,
+            attributes: insert_attributes,
+        } = unpack_attributes(user_insert_attributes, &schema, is_admin)?;
         handler
             .update_user(UpdateUserRequest {
                 user_id,
-                email: user.email.map(Into::into),
-                display_name: user.display_name,
+                email: user.email.map(Into::into).or(email),
+                display_name: user.display_name.or(display_name),
                 first_name: user.first_name,
                 last_name: user.last_name,
                 avatar,
diff --git a/server/tests/common/fixture.rs b/server/tests/common/fixture.rs
index b970c2c..4e35577 100644
--- a/server/tests/common/fixture.rs
+++ b/server/tests/common/fixture.rs
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ impl LLDAPFixture {
             create_user::Variables {
                 user: create_user::CreateUserInput {
                     id: user.clone(),
-                    email: format!("{}@lldap.test", user),
+                    email: Some(format!("{}@lldap.test", user)),
                     avatar: None,
                     display_name: None,
                     first_name: None,