diff --git page_manager/page_manager.module page_manager/page_manager.module
index ecd0e9f..998db21 100644
--- page_manager/page_manager.module
+++ page_manager/page_manager.module
@@ -896,6 +896,25 @@ function pm_uid_arg_to_arg($arg) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Special menu _load() function for the user:user_name argument.
+ *
+ * This is just the normal page manager argument. It only exists so that
+ * the to_arg can exist.
+ */
+function pm_user_name_arg_load($value, $subtask, $argument) {
+  page_manager_get_task('page');
+  return _pm_arg_load($value, $subtask, $argument);
+}
+
+/**
+ * to_arg function for the user:user_name argument to provide the arg for the
+ * current global user.
+ */
+function pm_user_name_arg_to_arg($arg) {
+  return empty($arg) || $arg == '%' ? $GLOBALS['user']->name : $arg;
+}
+
+/**
  * Callback for access control ajax form on behalf of page.inc task.
  *
  * Returns the cached access config and contexts used.
diff --git plugins/arguments/user_name.inc plugins/arguments/user_name.inc
index 78c457b..2f7c63e 100644
--- plugins/arguments/user_name.inc
+++ plugins/arguments/user_name.inc
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ $plugin = array(
     '#type' => 'textfield',
     '#description' => t('Enter the username of a user for this argument'),
   ),
+  'default' => array('to_arg' => TRUE),
+  'path placeholder' => '%pm_user_name_arg', // This is in pagemanager.
+  'path placeholder to_arg' => TRUE,
 );
 
 /**