diff --git a/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
index 9dfae9ed98ec174522e4a21a4428805d29f5d67f..107652fddc7fa4805b9b8e8037e48343b8491f77 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class FeedsNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
       '#options' => $format_options,
       '#default_value' => $this->config['input_format'],
     );
-    $author = user_load(array('uid' => $this->config['author']));
+    $author = user_load($this->config['author']);
     $form['author'] = array(
       '#type' => 'textfield',
       '#title' => t('Author'),
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ class FeedsNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
    * Override parent::configFormValidate().
    */
   public function configFormValidate(&$values) {
-    if ($author = user_load(array('name' => $values['author']))) {
+    if ($author = user_load_by_name($values['author'])) {
       $values['author'] = $author->uid;
     }
     else {
diff --git a/tests/feeds_mapper_profile.test b/tests/feeds_mapper_profile.test
index 833820c80d5b4f0303661a9422388a7607052854..3bc38794339f80fc89602c350dcda3465cbacaaf 100644
--- a/tests/feeds_mapper_profile.test
+++ b/tests/feeds_mapper_profile.test
@@ -107,11 +107,11 @@ class FeedsMapperProfileTestCase extends FeedsMapperTestCase {
     $this->assertText('magna');
     $this->assertText('rhoncus');
 
-    $account = user_load(array('name' => 'magna'));
+    $account = user_load_by_name('magna');
     $this->assertEqual($account->profile_textfield_test, 'red', 'User profile_textfield_test is correct');
     $this->assertEqual($account->profile_select_test, 'alpha', 'User profile_select_test is correct');
 
-    $account = user_load(array('name' => 'rhoncus'));
+    $account = user_load_by_name('rhoncus');
     $this->assertEqual($account->profile_textfield_test, 'blue', 'User profile_textfield_test is correct');
     $this->assertEqual($account->profile_select_test, 'beta', 'User profile_select_test is correct');
   }