diff --git a/src/routes/user.spec.ts b/src/routes/user.spec.ts
index 710ee0a..4a501e3 100644
--- a/src/routes/user.spec.ts
+++ b/src/routes/user.spec.ts
@@ -303,8 +303,8 @@ describe('/user', () => {
         url: '/user',
         auth: {basic: 'admin'},
         httpStatus: 400,
-        req: {pass: 'password'},
-        res: {status: 'Invalid body format', details: 'password must have at least 8 characters, one uppercase and one lowercase character, one number and at least one of the following characters:  !\"\\#%&\'()*+,-.\\/:;<=>?@[]^_`\u0000|}~'}
+        req: {pass: 'pass'},
+        res: {status: 'Invalid body format', details: '"pass" length must be at least 8 characters long'}
       });
     });
     it('rejects requests from non-admins for another user', done => {
@@ -585,8 +585,8 @@ describe('/user', () => {
         url: '/user/new',
         auth: {basic: 'admin'},
         httpStatus: 400,
-        req: {email: 'john.doe@bosch.com', name: 'johndoe', pass: 'password', level: 'read', location: 'Rng', devices: ['Alpha II']},
-        res: {status: 'Invalid body format', details: 'password must have at least 8 characters, one uppercase and one lowercase character, one number and at least one of the following characters:  !\"\\#%&\'()*+,-.\\/:;<=>?@[]^_`\u0000|}~'}
+        req: {email: 'john.doe@bosch.com', name: 'johndoe', pass: 'pass', level: 'read', location: 'Rng', devices: ['Alpha II']},
+        res: {status: 'Invalid body format', details: '"pass" length must be at least 8 characters long'}
       });
     });
     it('rejects requests from non-admins', done => {
diff --git a/src/routes/validate/user.ts b/src/routes/validate/user.ts
index f049fd4..f25e492 100644
--- a/src/routes/validate/user.ts
+++ b/src/routes/validate/user.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,8 @@ export default class UserValidate {  // validate input for user
       .max(128),
 
     pass: Joi.string()
-      .pattern(/^(?=.*[0-9])(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[!"#%&'()*+,-.\/:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~])(?=\S+$)[a-zA-Z0-9!"#%&'()*+,\-.\/:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~]{8,}$/)
-      .max(128)
-      .messages({'string.pattern.base': 'password must have at least 8 characters, one uppercase and one lowercase character, one number and at least one of the following characters:  !"\\#%&\'()*+,-.\\/:;<=>?@[]^_`\\{|}~'}),
+      .min(8)
+      .max(128),
 
     level: Joi.string()
       .valid(...globals.levels),