diff --git a/www/pad/cursor.js b/www/pad/cursor.js
index 42569838f..fbca1a9cf 100644
--- a/www/pad/cursor.js
+++ b/www/pad/cursor.js
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ define([
     '/common/common-ui-elements.js',
     '/common/common-interface.js',
     '/bower_components/chainpad/chainpad.dist.js',
-], function ($, UIElements, UI, ChainPad) {
+    '/customize/messages.js',
+    '/common/inner/common-mediatag.js',
+], function ($, UIElements, UI, ChainPad, Messages, MT) {
     var Cursor = {};
 
     Cursor.isCursor = function (el) {
@@ -35,13 +37,20 @@ define([
         $(el).remove();
     };
 
-    Cursor.create = function (inner, hjsonToDom, cursorModule) {
+    Cursor.create = function (inner, hjsonToDom, cursorModule, uid) {
         var exp = {};
 
         var cursors = {};
 
+    // XXX despite the name of this function this doesn't actually render as a tippy tooltip
+    // that means that emojis will use the system font that shows up in native tooltips
+    // so this might be of limited value/aesthetic appeal compared to other apps' cursors
         var makeTippy = function (cursor) {
-            return cursor.name;
+            //return cursor.name;
+            if (typeof(cursor.uid) === 'string' && (!cursor.name || cursor.name === Messages.anonymous)) {
+                return MT.getPseudorandomAnimal(cursor.uid) + ' ' + Messages.anonymous;
+            }
+            return cursor.name || Messages.anonymous;
         };
 
         var makeCursor = function (id, cursor) {
@@ -138,6 +147,12 @@ define([
             var cursorObj = data.cursor;
 
             if (!cursorObj.selectionStart) { return; }
+            if (cursorObj.name === Messages.anonymous) {
+                // save a little bit of data from going over the wire...
+                // remote clients will interpret this as Messages.anonymous (in their UI language)
+                cursorObj.name = '';
+                cursorObj.uid = uid;
+            }
 
             // 1. Transform the cursor to get the offset relative to our doc
             // 2. Turn it into a range
diff --git a/www/pad/inner.js b/www/pad/inner.js
index 95e7c1bff..e89cd9a0a 100644
--- a/www/pad/inner.js
+++ b/www/pad/inner.js
@@ -678,6 +678,7 @@ define([
 
         var metadataMgr = framework._.sfCommon.getMetadataMgr();
         var privateData = metadataMgr.getPrivateData();
+        var myData = metadataMgr.getUserData();
         var common = framework._.sfCommon;
         var APP = window.APP;
 
@@ -704,7 +705,7 @@ define([
         var cursor = module.cursor = Cursor(inner);
 
         // Display other users cursor
-        var cursors = Cursors.create(inner, hjsonToDom, cursor);
+        var cursors = Cursors.create(inner, hjsonToDom, cursor, myData.uid);
 
         var openLink = function(e) {
             var el = e.currentTarget;