diff --git a/core/helpers/album.php b/core/helpers/album.php
index 3c97f7e8..2801c570 100644
--- a/core/helpers/album.php
+++ b/core/helpers/album.php
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ class Album_Core {
    * @param string  $description (optional) the longer description of this album
    * @return Item_Model
    */
-  static function create($parent_id, $name, $title, $description=null, $user_id = null) {
+  static function create($parent_id, $name, $title, $description=null, $owner_id = null) {
     $album = ORM::factory("item");
     $album->type = "album";
     $album->title = $title;
     $album->description = $description;
     $album->name = $name;
-    $album->user_id = $user_id;
+    $album->owner_id = $owner_id;
 
     while (ORM::Factory("item")
            ->where("parent_id", $parent_id)
diff --git a/core/helpers/core_installer.php b/core/helpers/core_installer.php
index df194497..a3350f22 100644
--- a/core/helpers/core_installer.php
+++ b/core/helpers/core_installer.php
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ class core_installer {
                    `thumbnail_height` int(9) default NULL,
                    `resize_width` int(9) default NULL,
                    `resize_height` int(9) default NULL,
+                   `owner_id` int(9) default NULL,
                    PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
                    KEY `parent_id` (`parent_id`),
                    KEY `type` (`type`))
diff --git a/core/helpers/photo.php b/core/helpers/photo.php
index 231e3a9c..44350f2f 100644
--- a/core/helpers/photo.php
+++ b/core/helpers/photo.php
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ class Photo_Core {
    * @param string  $description (optional) the longer description of this photo
    * @return Item_Model
    */
-  static function create($parent_id, $filename, $name, $title, $description=null, $user_id = null) {
+  static function create($parent_id, $filename, $name, $title, $description=null, $owner_id = null) {
     $photo = ORM::factory("item");
     $photo->type = "photo";
     $photo->title = $title;
     $photo->description = $description;
     $photo->name = $name;
-    $photo->user_id = $user_id;
+    $photo->owner_id = $owner_id;
 
     $pi = pathinfo(basename($filename));
     if (empty($pi["extension"])) {
diff --git a/core/models/item.php b/core/models/item.php
index c8d8d1e2..a32becc9 100644
--- a/core/models/item.php
+++ b/core/models/item.php
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
  */
 class Item_Model extends ORM_MPTT {
   protected $children = 'items';
-  protected $has_one = array('user');
+
+  private $owner = null;
 
   /**
    * Is this item an album?
@@ -166,4 +167,26 @@ class Item_Model extends ORM_MPTT {
     }
     return $path;
   }
+
+  /**
+   * @see ORM::reload
+   */
+  function reload() {
+    $this->owner = null;
+    return parent::reload();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @see ORM::__get()
+   */
+  public function __get($column) {
+    if ($column == "owner") {
+      if (!isset($this->owner)) {
+        $this->owner = ORM::factory("user", $this->owner_id);
+      }
+      return $this->owner;
+    } else {
+      return parent::__get($column);
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/modules/info/views/info_block.html.php b/modules/info/views/info_block.html.php
index 543ce3db..3fa9350f 100644
--- a/modules/info/views/info_block.html.php
+++ b/modules/info/views/info_block.html.php
@@ -2,21 +2,23 @@
 <table class="gMetadata">
   <tbody>
     <tr>
-      <th>Title:</th>
+      <th><?= _("Title:") ?></th>
       <td><?= $item->title; ?></td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
-      <th>Description:</th>
+      <th><?= _("Description:") ?></th>
       <td><?= $item->description; ?></td>
     </tr>
     <tr>
-      <th>Name:</th>
+      <th><?= _("Name:") ?></th>
       <td><?= $item->name; ?></td>
     </tr>
+    <? if ($item->owner): ?>
     <tr>
-      <th>Owner:</th>
-      <td><a href="#"><?= isset($item->user_id) ? $item->user->name : "anonymous"?></a></td>
+      <th><?= _("Owner:") ?></th>
+      <td><a href="#"><?= $item->owner->name ?></a></td>
     </tr>
+    <? endif ?>
     <tr>
       <td colspan="2" class="toggle">
         <a href="#">more \/</a>
diff --git a/modules/user/helpers/user_installer.php b/modules/user/helpers/user_installer.php
index 82221f10..93f36d99 100644
--- a/modules/user/helpers/user_installer.php
+++ b/modules/user/helpers/user_installer.php
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  */
 class user_installer {
   protected $has_many = array('items');
-  
+
   public static function install() {
     Kohana::log("debug", "user_installer::install");
     $db = Database::instance();
@@ -58,8 +58,6 @@ class user_installer {
           PRIMARY KEY (`group_id`, `user_id`),
           UNIQUE KEY(`user_id`, `group_id`))
         ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;");
-      
-      $db->query("ALTER TABLE `items` ADD `user_id` INT(9) NULL");
 
       $user_module = ORM::factory("module")->where("name", "user")->find();
       $user_module->name = "user";
@@ -71,15 +69,14 @@ class user_installer {
       $user->display_name = "Gallery Administrator";
       $user->save();
       $id = $user->id;
-      $db->query("UPDATE `items` SET `user_id` = $id ");
+      $db->query("UPDATE `items` SET `owner_id` = $id WHERE `owner_id` IS NULL");
 
       foreach (array("administrator", "registered") as $group_name) {
         $group = ORM::factory("group")->where("name", $group_name)->find();
         $group->name = $group_name;
         $group->save();
         if (!$group->add($user)) {
-          /** @todo replace this by throwing an exception once exceptions are implemented */
-          Kohana::Log("debug", "{$user->name} was not added to {$group_name}");
+          throw new Exception("@todo {$user->name} WAS_NOT_ADDED_TO {$group_name}");
         }
       }
     }
@@ -87,7 +84,6 @@ class user_installer {
 
   public static function uninstall() {
     $db = Database::instance();
-    $db->query("ALTER TABLE `items` DROP `user_id`");
     $db->query("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `users`;");
     $db->query("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `groups`;");
     $db->query("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `groups_users`;");
diff --git a/themes/default/views/album.html.php b/themes/default/views/album.html.php
index abac6d3f..8ec225cf 100644
--- a/themes/default/views/album.html.php
+++ b/themes/default/views/album.html.php
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
     <h2><?= $child->title ?></h2>
     <ul class="gMetadata">
       <li>Views: 321</li>
-      <li>By: <a href="#"><?= isset($child->user_id) ? $child->user->name : "anonymous"?></a></li>
+      <? if ($child->owner): ?>
+      <li><?= _("By:") ?><a href="#"><?= $child->owner->name ?></a></li>
+      <? endif ?>
     </ul>
   </li>
   <? endforeach ?>