diff --git a/lib/private/User/Database.php b/lib/private/User/Database.php
index 1dcac287e1..85cbddca35 100644
--- a/lib/private/User/Database.php
+++ b/lib/private/User/Database.php
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 namespace OC\User;
 
 use OC\Cache\CappedMemoryCache;
+use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcher;
+use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\GenericEvent;
 
 /**
  * Class for user management in a SQL Database (e.g. MySQL, SQLite)
@@ -58,12 +60,14 @@ use OC\Cache\CappedMemoryCache;
 class Database extends \OC\User\Backend implements \OCP\IUserBackend {
 	/** @var CappedMemoryCache */
 	private $cache;
-
+	/** @var EventDispatcher */
+	private $eventDispatcher;
 	/**
 	 * OC_User_Database constructor.
 	 */
-	public function __construct() {
+	public function __construct($eventDispatcher = null) {
 		$this->cache = new CappedMemoryCache();
+		$this->eventDispatcher = $eventDispatcher ? $eventDispatcher : \OC::$server->getEventDispatcher();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -115,6 +119,8 @@ class Database extends \OC\User\Backend implements \OCP\IUserBackend {
 	 */
 	public function setPassword($uid, $password) {
 		if ($this->userExists($uid)) {
+			$event = new GenericEvent($password);
+			$this->eventDispatcher->dispatch('OCP\PasswordPolicy::validate', $event);
 			$query = \OC_DB::prepare('UPDATE `*PREFIX*users` SET `password` = ? WHERE `uid` = ?');
 			$result = $query->execute(array(\OC::$server->getHasher()->hash($password), $uid));
 
diff --git a/settings/ChangePassword/Controller.php b/settings/ChangePassword/Controller.php
index 1f3ea1b446..94fb1e4e7a 100644
--- a/settings/ChangePassword/Controller.php
+++ b/settings/ChangePassword/Controller.php
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
  */
 namespace OC\Settings\ChangePassword;
 
+use OC\HintException;
+
 class Controller {
 	public static function changePersonalPassword($args) {
 		// Check if we are an user
@@ -39,17 +41,22 @@ class Controller {
 		$username = \OC_User::getUser();
 		$password = isset($_POST['personal-password']) ? $_POST['personal-password'] : null;
 		$oldPassword = isset($_POST['oldpassword']) ? $_POST['oldpassword'] : '';
+		$l = new \OC_L10n('settings');
 
 		if (!\OC_User::checkPassword($username, $oldPassword)) {
-			$l = new \OC_L10n('settings');
 			\OC_JSON::error(array("data" => array("message" => $l->t("Wrong password")) ));
 			exit();
 		}
-		if (!is_null($password) && \OC_User::setPassword($username, $password)) {
-			\OC::$server->getUserSession()->updateSessionTokenPassword($password);
-			\OC_JSON::success();
-		} else {
-			\OC_JSON::error();
+
+		try {
+			if (!is_null($password) && \OC_User::setPassword($username, $password)) {
+				\OC::$server->getUserSession()->updateSessionTokenPassword($password);
+				\OC_JSON::success(['data' => ['message' => $l->t('Saved')]]);
+			} else {
+				\OC_JSON::error();
+			}
+		} catch (HintException $e) {
+			\OC_JSON::error(['data' => ['message' => $e->getHint()]]);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -150,10 +157,14 @@ class Controller {
 
 			}
 		} else { // if encryption is disabled, proceed
-			if (!is_null($password) && \OC_User::setPassword($username, $password)) {
-				\OC_JSON::success(array('data' => array('username' => $username)));
-			} else {
-				\OC_JSON::error(array('data' => array('message' => $l->t('Unable to change password'))));
+			try {
+				if (!is_null($password) && \OC_User::setPassword($username, $password)) {
+					\OC_JSON::success(array('data' => array('username' => $username)));
+				} else {
+					\OC_JSON::error(array('data' => array('message' => $l->t('Unable to change password'))));
+				}
+			} catch (HintException $e) {
+				\OC_JSON::error(array('data' => array('message' => $e->getHint())));
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/settings/js/personal.js b/settings/js/personal.js
index c9e575afd6..16a8d184da 100644
--- a/settings/js/personal.js
+++ b/settings/js/personal.js
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
 		$('#pass2').showPassword().keyup();
 	}
 	$("#passwordbutton").click(function () {
+		OC.msg.startSaving('#password-error-msg');
 		var isIE8or9 = $('html').hasClass('lte9');
 		// FIXME - TODO - once support for IE8 and IE9 is dropped
 		// for IE8 and IE9 this will check additionally if the typed in password
@@ -208,25 +209,32 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
 				if (data.status === "success") {
 					$('#pass1').val('');
 					$('#pass2').val('').change();
-					// Hide a possible errormsg and show successmsg
-					$('#password-changed').removeClass('hidden').addClass('inlineblock');
-					$('#password-error').removeClass('inlineblock').addClass('hidden');
+					OC.msg.finishedSaving('#password-error-msg', data);
 				} else {
 					if (typeof(data.data) !== "undefined") {
-						$('#password-error').text(data.data.message);
+						OC.msg.finishedSaving('#password-error-msg', data);
 					} else {
-						$('#password-error').text(t('Unable to change password'));
+						OC.msg.finishedSaving('#password-error-msg',
+							{
+								'status' : 'error',
+								'data' : {
+									'message' : t('core', 'Unable to change password')
+								}
+							}
+						);
 					}
-					// Hide a possible successmsg and show errormsg
-					$('#password-changed').removeClass('inlineblock').addClass('hidden');
-					$('#password-error').removeClass('hidden').addClass('inlineblock');
 				}
 			});
 			return false;
 		} else {
-			// Hide a possible successmsg and show errormsg
-			$('#password-changed').removeClass('inlineblock').addClass('hidden');
-			$('#password-error').removeClass('hidden').addClass('inlineblock');
+			OC.msg.finishedSaving('#password-error-msg',
+				{
+					'status' : 'error',
+					'data' : {
+						'message' : t('core', 'Unable to change password')
+					}
+				}
+			);
 			return false;
 		}
 
diff --git a/settings/templates/personal.php b/settings/templates/personal.php
index e86a84dfa0..716570cad8 100644
--- a/settings/templates/personal.php
+++ b/settings/templates/personal.php
@@ -118,8 +118,7 @@ if($_['passwordChangeSupported']) {
 ?>
 <form id="passwordform" class="section">
 	<h2 class="inlineblock"><?php p($l->t('Password'));?></h2>
-	<div class="hidden icon-checkmark" id="password-changed"></div>
-	<div class="hidden" id="password-error"><?php p($l->t('Unable to change your password'));?></div>
+	<div id="password-error-msg" class="msg success inlineblock" style="display: none;">Saved</div>
 	<br>
 	<label for="pass1" class="hidden-visually"><?php echo $l->t('Current password');?>: </label>
 	<input type="password" id="pass1" name="oldpassword"
diff --git a/tests/lib/User/DatabaseTest.php b/tests/lib/User/DatabaseTest.php
index 270d90b35b..16275f3b6c 100644
--- a/tests/lib/User/DatabaseTest.php
+++ b/tests/lib/User/DatabaseTest.php
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 */
 
 namespace Test\User;
+use OC\HintException;
+use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcher;
+use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\GenericEvent;
 
 /**
  * Class DatabaseTest
@@ -30,6 +33,8 @@ namespace Test\User;
 class DatabaseTest extends Backend {
 	/** @var array */
 	private $users;
+	/** @var  EventDispatcher | \PHPUnit_Framework_MockObject_MockObject */
+	private $eventDispatcher;
 
 	public function getUser() {
 		$user = parent::getUser();
@@ -39,7 +44,10 @@ class DatabaseTest extends Backend {
 
 	protected function setUp() {
 		parent::setUp();
-		$this->backend=new \OC\User\Database();
+
+		$this->eventDispatcher = $this->getMock('Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcher');
+
+		$this->backend=new \OC\User\Database($this->eventDispatcher);
 	}
 
 	protected function tearDown() {
@@ -51,4 +59,41 @@ class DatabaseTest extends Backend {
 		}
 		parent::tearDown();
 	}
+
+	public function testVerifyPasswordEvent() {
+		$user = $this->getUser();
+		$this->backend->createUser($user, 'pass1');
+
+		$this->eventDispatcher->expects($this->once())->method('dispatch')
+			->willReturnCallback(
+				function ($eventName, GenericEvent $event) {
+					$this->assertSame('OCP\PasswordPolicy::validate',  $eventName);
+					$this->assertSame('newpass', $event->getSubject());
+				}
+			);
+
+		$this->backend->setPassword($user, 'newpass');
+		$this->assertSame($user, $this->backend->checkPassword($user, 'newpass'));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @expectedException \OC\HintException
+	 * @expectedExceptionMessage password change failed
+	 */
+	public function testVerifyPasswordEventFail() {
+		$user = $this->getUser();
+		$this->backend->createUser($user, 'pass1');
+
+		$this->eventDispatcher->expects($this->once())->method('dispatch')
+			->willReturnCallback(
+				function ($eventName, GenericEvent $event) {
+					$this->assertSame('OCP\PasswordPolicy::validate',  $eventName);
+					$this->assertSame('newpass', $event->getSubject());
+					throw new HintException('password change failed', 'password change failed');
+				}
+			);
+
+		$this->backend->setPassword($user, 'newpass');
+		$this->assertSame($user, $this->backend->checkPassword($user, 'newpass'));
+	}
 }