diff --git a/synapse/handlers/profile.py b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
index e37409170d..711a6a567f 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/profile.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
@@ -36,13 +36,6 @@ class ProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
             "profile", self.on_profile_query
         )
 
-        distributor = hs.get_distributor()
-
-        distributor.observe("registered_user", self.registered_user)
-
-    def registered_user(self, user):
-        return self.store.create_profile(user.localpart)
-
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def get_displayname(self, target_user):
         if self.hs.is_mine(target_user):
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/register.py b/synapse/handlers/register.py
index e0aaefe7be..0b7517221d 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/register.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/register.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ from synapse.api.errors import (
 from ._base import BaseHandler
 from synapse.util.async import run_on_reactor
 from synapse.http.client import CaptchaServerHttpClient
-from synapse.util.distributor import registered_user
 
 import logging
 import urllib
@@ -37,8 +36,6 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
         super(RegistrationHandler, self).__init__(hs)
 
         self.auth = hs.get_auth()
-        self.distributor = hs.get_distributor()
-        self.distributor.declare("registered_user")
         self.captcha_client = CaptchaServerHttpClient(hs)
 
         self._next_generated_user_id = None
@@ -140,9 +137,11 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
                 password_hash=password_hash,
                 was_guest=was_guest,
                 make_guest=make_guest,
+                create_profile_with_localpart=(
+                    # If the user was a guest then they already have a profile
+                    None if was_guest else user.localpart
+                ),
             )
-
-            yield registered_user(self.distributor, user)
         else:
             # autogen a sequential user ID
             attempts = 0
@@ -160,7 +159,8 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
                         user_id=user_id,
                         token=token,
                         password_hash=password_hash,
-                        make_guest=make_guest
+                        make_guest=make_guest,
+                        create_profile_with_localpart=user.localpart,
                     )
                 except SynapseError:
                     # if user id is taken, just generate another
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
                     user_id = None
                     token = None
                     attempts += 1
-            yield registered_user(self.distributor, user)
 
         # We used to generate default identicons here, but nowadays
         # we want clients to generate their own as part of their branding
@@ -201,8 +200,8 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
             token=token,
             password_hash="",
             appservice_id=service_id,
+            create_profile_with_localpart=user.localpart,
         )
-        yield registered_user(self.distributor, user)
         defer.returnValue((user_id, token))
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
@@ -248,9 +247,9 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
             yield self.store.register(
                 user_id=user_id,
                 token=token,
-                password_hash=None
+                password_hash=None,
+                create_profile_with_localpart=user.localpart,
             )
-            yield registered_user(self.distributor, user)
         except Exception as e:
             yield self.store.add_access_token_to_user(user_id, token)
             # Ignore Registration errors
@@ -395,10 +394,9 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
             yield self.store.register(
                 user_id=user_id,
                 token=token,
-                password_hash=None
+                password_hash=None,
+                create_profile_with_localpart=user.localpart,
             )
-
-            yield registered_user(self.distributor, user)
         else:
             yield self.store.user_delete_access_tokens(user_id=user_id)
             yield self.store.add_access_token_to_user(user_id=user_id, token=token)
diff --git a/synapse/storage/registration.py b/synapse/storage/registration.py
index bda84a744a..3de9e0f709 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/registration.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/registration.py
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def register(self, user_id, token, password_hash,
-                 was_guest=False, make_guest=False, appservice_id=None):
+                 was_guest=False, make_guest=False, appservice_id=None,
+                 create_profile_with_localpart=None):
         """Attempts to register an account.
 
         Args:
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
             make_guest (boolean): True if the the new user should be guest,
                 false to add a regular user account.
             appservice_id (str): The ID of the appservice registering the user.
+            create_profile_with_localpart (str): Optionally create a profile for
+                the given localpart.
         Raises:
             StoreError if the user_id could not be registered.
         """
@@ -99,7 +102,8 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
             password_hash,
             was_guest,
             make_guest,
-            appservice_id
+            appservice_id,
+            create_profile_with_localpart,
         )
         self.get_user_by_id.invalidate((user_id,))
         self.is_guest.invalidate((user_id,))
@@ -112,7 +116,8 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
         password_hash,
         was_guest,
         make_guest,
-        appservice_id
+        appservice_id,
+        create_profile_with_localpart,
     ):
         now = int(self.clock.time())
 
@@ -157,6 +162,12 @@ class RegistrationStore(SQLBaseStore):
                 (next_id, user_id, token,)
             )
 
+        if create_profile_with_localpart:
+            txn.execute(
+                "INSERT INTO profiles(user_id) VALUES (?)",
+                (create_profile_with_localpart,)
+            )
+
     @cached()
     def get_user_by_id(self, user_id):
         return self._simple_select_one(
diff --git a/synapse/util/distributor.py b/synapse/util/distributor.py
index d7cccc06b1..e68f94ce77 100644
--- a/synapse/util/distributor.py
+++ b/synapse/util/distributor.py
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ import logging
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def registered_user(distributor, user):
-    return distributor.fire("registered_user", user)
-
-
 def user_left_room(distributor, user, room_id):
     return preserve_context_over_fn(
         distributor.fire,