diff --git a/admin/inc/class.admin_passwordreset.inc.php b/admin/inc/class.admin_passwordreset.inc.php
index 73ac36e5d2..e0343d1bfb 100644
--- a/admin/inc/class.admin_passwordreset.inc.php
+++ b/admin/inc/class.admin_passwordreset.inc.php
@@ -115,7 +115,16 @@ class admin_passwordreset
 						//_debug_array($account); //break;
 						if ($content['random_pw'])
 						{
-							$password = Api\Auth::randomstring(8);
+							if (($minlength=$GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['force_pwd_length']) < 8)
+							{
+								$minlength = 8;
+							}
+							$n = 0;
+							do {
+								$password = Api\Auth::randomstring($minlength,
+									$GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['force_pwd_strength'] >= 4);
+								error_log(__METHOD__."() minlength=$minlength, n=$n, password=$password");
+							} while (++$n < 100 && Api\Auth::crackcheck($password, null, null, null, $account));
 							$old_password = null;
 						}
 						elseif ($change_pw && !preg_match('/^{plain}/i',$account['account_pwd']) &&
@@ -129,9 +138,15 @@ class admin_passwordreset
 							$old_password = $password = preg_replace('/^{plain}/i','',$account['account_pwd']);
 						}
 						// change password, if requested
-						if ($change_pw && !$GLOBALS['egw']->auth->change_password($old_password,$password,$account_id))
-						{
-							$msg .= lang('Failed to change password for account "%1"!',$account['account_lid'])."\n";
+						try {
+							if ($change_pw && !$GLOBALS['egw']->auth->change_password($old_password,$password,$account_id))
+							{
+								$msg .= lang('Failed to change password for account "%1"!',$account['account_lid'])."\n";
+								continue;
+							}
+						}
+						catch(Exception $e) {
+							$msg .= lang('Failed to change password for account "%1"!',$account['account_lid']).' '.$e->getMessage()."\n";
 							continue;
 						}
 						// force password change on next login
diff --git a/api/src/Auth.php b/api/src/Auth.php
index 2ecb5a5fd6..1610549002 100644
--- a/api/src/Auth.php
+++ b/api/src/Auth.php
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ class Auth
 	 */
 	private $backend;
 
+	/**
+	 * Specialchars as considered by crackcheck method
+	 */
+	const SPECIALCHARS = '~!@#$%^&*_-+=`|\(){}[]:;"\'<>,.?/';
+
 	/**
 	 * Constructor
 	 *
@@ -272,19 +277,25 @@ class Auth
 	 *
 	 * @param $size int-size of random string to return
 	 */
-	static function randomstring($size)
+	static function randomstring($size, $use_specialchars=false)
 	{
-		static $random_char = array(
+		$random_char = array(
 			'0','1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','9','a','b','c','d','e','f',
 			'g','h','i','j','k','l','m','n','o','p','q','r','s','t','u','v',
 			'w','x','y','z','A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L',
 			'M','N','O','P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','Z'
 		);
 
-		$s = '';
-		for ($i=0; $i<$size; $i++)
+		// we need special chars
+		if ($use_specialchars)
 		{
-			$s .= $random_char[mt_rand(1,61)];
+			$random_char = array_merge($random_char, str_split(str_replace('\\', '', self::SPECIALCHARS)), $random_char);
+		}
+
+		$s = '';
+		for ($i=0; $i < $size; $i++)
+		{
+			$s .= $random_char[mt_rand(0, count($random_char)-1)];
 		}
 		return $s;
 	}
@@ -680,7 +691,7 @@ class Auth
 			{
 				$missing[] = lang('lowercase letters');
 			}
-			if (!preg_match('/['.preg_quote('~!@#$%^&*_-+=`|\(){}[]:;"\'<>,.?/', '/').']/', $passwd))
+			if (!preg_match('/['.preg_quote(self::SPECIALCHARS, '/').']/', $passwd))
 			{
 				$missing[] = lang('special characters');
 			}