diff --git a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
index de54dafc5..5d051377d 100644
--- a/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/application_controller.rb
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   end
 
   def user_log_str(user)
-    user.nil? ? 'public' : user.string
+    user.nil? ? 'public' : user.id_role_username
   end
 
   def comma_support_for(parent_key, key)
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/versions.rb b/app/models/concerns/versions.rb
index 2cbdca838..ae2dabf6a 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/versions.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/versions.rb
@@ -22,32 +22,30 @@ module Versions
 
     def creator
       return nil if creator_str.blank?
-
-      if creator_str =~ /^\d+-AdminUser:/
-        creator = AdminUser.find_by(id: creator_str)
-      elsif creator_str =~ /^\d+-ApiUser:/
-        creator = ApiUser.find_by(id: creator_str)
-      elsif creator_str =~ /^\d+-api-/ # depricated
-        creator = ApiUser.find_by(id: creator_str)
-      end
-
+      creator = user_from_id_role_username creator_str
       creator.present? ? creator : creator_str
     end
 
     def updator
       return nil if updator_str.blank?
-
-      if updator_str =~ /^\d+-AdminUser:/
-        updator = AdminUser.find_by(id: updator_str)
-      elsif updator_str =~ /^\d+-ApiUser:/
-        updator = ApiUser.find_by(id: updator_str)
-      elsif updator_str =~ /^\d+-api-/ # depricated
-        updator = ApiUser.find_by(id: updator_str)
-      end
-
+      updator = user_from_id_role_username updator_str
       updator.present? ? updator : updator_str
     end
 
+    def user_from_id_role_username(str)
+      user = ApiUser.find_by(id: $1) if str =~ /^(\d+)-(ApiUser:|api-)/
+      unless user.present?
+        user = AdminUser.find_by(id: $1) if str =~ /^(\d+)-AdminUser:/
+        unless user.present?
+          # on import we copied Registrar name, which may eql code
+          registrar = Registrar.find_by(name: str).first
+          # assume each registrar has only one user
+          user = registrar.api_users.first if registrar
+        end
+      end
+      user
+    end
+
     # callbacks
     def touch_domain_version
       domain.try(:touch_with_version)
diff --git a/app/models/epp/domain.rb b/app/models/epp/domain.rb
index 9418b54fd..cbf9ab465 100644
--- a/app/models/epp/domain.rb
+++ b/app/models/epp/domain.rb
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ class Epp::Domain < Domain
     old_registrant_email = DomainMailer.registrant_updated_notification_for_old_registrant(id, deliver_emails)
     preclean_pendings
     user  = ApiUser.find(pending_json['current_user_id'])
-    ::PaperTrail.whodunnit = user.string # updator str should be the request originator not the approval user
+    ::PaperTrail.whodunnit = user.id_role_username # updator str should be the request originator not the approval user
     frame = Nokogiri::XML(pending_json['frame'])
     statuses.delete(DomainStatus::PENDING_UPDATE)
     yield(self) if block_given? # need to skip statuses check here
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 5d415230c..b69e0250c 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   attr_accessor :phone
 
-  def string
+  def id_role_username
     "#{self.id}-#{self.class}: #{self.username}"
   end