diff --git a/modules/ldap/0004-make-givenName-optional.patch b/modules/ldap/0004-make-givenName-optional.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4131252
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/ldap/0004-make-givenName-optional.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+diff --git a/internal/core/user.go b/internal/core/user.go
+index e74ccfe..ce03eeb 100644
+--- a/internal/core/user.go
++++ b/internal/core/user.go
+@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ func (u User) RenderToLDAP(suffix string, allGroups map[string]Group) LDAPObject
+ 			"uid":          {u.LoginName},
+ 			"cn":           {u.FullName()},
+ 			"sn":           {u.FamilyName},
+-			"givenName":    {u.GivenName},
+ 			"userPassword": {u.PasswordHash},
+ 			"isMemberOf":   memberOfGroupDNames,
+ 			"objectClass":  {"portunusPerson", "inetOrgPerson", "organizationalPerson", "person", "top"},
+@@ -74,6 +73,9 @@ func (u User) RenderToLDAP(suffix string, allGroups map[string]Group) LDAPObject
+ 	if u.EMailAddress != "" {
+ 		obj.Attributes["mail"] = []string{u.EMailAddress}
+ 	}
++	if u.GivenName != "" {
++		obj.Attributes["givenName"] = []string{u.GivenName}
++	}
+ 	if len(u.SSHPublicKeys) > 0 {
+ 		obj.Attributes["sshPublicKey"] = u.SSHPublicKeys
+ 	}
+diff --git a/internal/frontend/users.go b/internal/frontend/users.go
+index 225c5b3..1a961ca 100644
+--- a/internal/frontend/users.go
++++ b/internal/frontend/users.go
+@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ func buildUserMasterdataFieldset(e core.Engine, u *core.User, state *h.FormState
+ 			Name:      "given_name",
+ 			Label:     "Given name",
+ 			Rules: []h.ValidationRule{
+-				core.MustNotBeEmpty,
+ 				core.MustNotHaveSurroundingSpaces,
+ 			},
+ 		},
diff --git a/modules/ldap/default.nix b/modules/ldap/default.nix
index 7766f6a..933145d 100644
--- a/modules/ldap/default.nix
+++ b/modules/ldap/default.nix
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ in
         ./0001-update-user-validation-regex.patch
         ./0002-both-ldap-and-ldaps.patch
         ./0003-gecos-ascii-escape.patch
+        ./0004-make-givenName-optional.patch
       ];
     });