diff --git a/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/components/NavigationBar.tsx b/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/components/NavigationBar.tsx
index fb482cd4..5c5ee966 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/components/NavigationBar.tsx
+++ b/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/components/NavigationBar.tsx
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ export default function NavigationBar() {
     if (UserService.isLoggedIn()) {
       return (
         <>
-          <HeaderGlobalAction>{UserService.getUsername()}</HeaderGlobalAction>
+          <HeaderGlobalAction className="username-header-text">
+            {UserService.getUsername()}
+          </HeaderGlobalAction>
           <HeaderGlobalAction
             aria-label="Logout"
             onClick={handleLogout}
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/index.css b/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/index.css
index 0d267086..598d396b 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/index.css
+++ b/spiffworkflow-frontend/src/index.css
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
   color: white;
 }
 
+/* defaults to 3rem, which isn't long sufficient for "elizabeth" */
+.cds--header__action.username-header-text {
+  width: 5rem;
+}
+
 h1 {
   font-weight: 400;
   font-size: 28px;