diff --git a/ietf/submit/models.py b/ietf/submit/models.py
index 4a09c0323..6043d4ab7 100644
--- a/ietf/submit/models.py
+++ b/ietf/submit/models.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from ietf.group.models import Group
 from ietf.message.models import Message
 from ietf.name.models import DraftSubmissionStateName, FormalLanguageName
 from ietf.utils.accesstoken import generate_random_key, generate_access_token
+from ietf.utils.text import parse_unicode
 from ietf.utils.models import ForeignKey
 
 
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ def parse_email_line(line):
     email.utils.parseaddr() but return a dictionary
     """
     name, addr = email.utils.parseaddr(line) if '@' in line else (line, '')
-    return dict(name=name, email=addr)
+    return dict(name=parse_unicode(name), email=addr)
 
 class Submission(models.Model):
     state = ForeignKey(DraftSubmissionStateName)
@@ -169,4 +170,4 @@ class SubmissionEmailEvent(SubmissionEvent):
 
 
 class SubmissionExtResource(ExtResource):
-    submission = ForeignKey(Submission, related_name='external_resources')
\ No newline at end of file
+    submission = ForeignKey(Submission, related_name='external_resources')
diff --git a/ietf/submit/utils.py b/ietf/submit/utils.py
index 1f16a4e98..4171fcf1c 100644
--- a/ietf/submit/utils.py
+++ b/ietf/submit/utils.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ from ietf.utils import log
 from ietf.utils.accesstoken import generate_random_key
 from ietf.utils.draft import Draft
 from ietf.utils.mail import is_valid_email
+from ietf.utils.text import parse_unicode
 from ietf.person.name import unidecode_name
 
 
@@ -886,7 +887,7 @@ def accept_submission(request, submission, autopost=False):
         requires_prev_ad_approval = False
 
     # Partial message for submission event
-    sub_event_desc = 'Set submitter to \"%s\", replaces to %s' % (submission.submitter, pretty_replaces)
+    sub_event_desc = 'Set submitter to \"%s\", replaces to %s' % (parse_unicode(submission.submitter), pretty_replaces)
     docevent_desc = None
     address_list = []
     if requires_ad_approval or requires_prev_ad_approval:
diff --git a/ietf/utils/tests.py b/ietf/utils/tests.py
index 58fe99940..bf9f26578 100644
--- a/ietf/utils/tests.py
+++ b/ietf/utils/tests.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ from ietf.utils.log import unreachable, assertion
 from ietf.utils.mail import send_mail_preformatted, send_mail_text, send_mail_mime, outbox, get_payload_text
 from ietf.utils.test_runner import get_template_paths, set_coverage_checking
 from ietf.utils.test_utils import TestCase
+from ietf.utils.text import parse_unicode
 
 skip_wiki_glue_testing = False
 skip_message_svn = ""
@@ -506,3 +507,21 @@ class LogUtilTests(TestCase):
         settings.SERVER_MODE = 'development'
         assertion('False')
         settings.SERVER_MODE = 'test'
+
+class TestRFC2047Strings(TestCase):
+    def test_parse_unicode(self):
+        names = (
+            ('=?utf-8?b?4Yuz4YuK4Ym1IOGJoOGJgOGIiA==?=', 'ዳዊት በቀለ'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?5Li9IOmDnA==?=', '丽 郜'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?4KSV4KSu4KWN4KSs4KWL4KScIOCkoeCkvuCksA==?=', 'कम्बोज डार'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?zpfPgc6szrrOu861zrnOsSDOm865z4zOvc+Ezrc=?=', 'Ηράκλεια Λιόντη'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?15nXqdeo15DXnCDXqNeV15bXoNek15zXkw==?=', 'ישראל רוזנפלד'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?5Li95Y2OIOeahw==?=', '丽华 皇'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?77ul77qu766V77qzIO+tlu+7ru+vvu+6ju+7pw==?=', 'ﻥﺮﮕﺳ ﭖﻮﯾﺎﻧ'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?77uh77uu77qz77uu76++IO+6su+7tO+7p++6jSDvurDvu6Pvuo7vu6jvr74=?=', 'ﻡﻮﺳﻮﯾ ﺲﻴﻧﺍ ﺰﻣﺎﻨﯾ'),
+            ('=?utf-8?b?ScOxaWdvIFNhbsOnIEliw6HDsWV6IGRlIGxhIFBlw7Fh?=', 'Iñigo Sanç Ibáñez de la Peña'),
+            ('Mart van Oostendorp', 'Mart van Oostendorp'),
+            ('', ''),
+            )
+        for encoded_str, unicode in names: 
+            self.assertEqual(unicode, parse_unicode(encoded_str))
diff --git a/ietf/utils/text.py b/ietf/utils/text.py
index 8040f0978..e4c246074 100644
--- a/ietf/utils/text.py
+++ b/ietf/utils/text.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 
+import email
 import re
 import textwrap
 import unicodedata
@@ -193,3 +194,16 @@ def unwrap(s):
     
 def normalize_text(s):
     return re.sub(r'[\s\n\r\u2028\u2029]+', ' ', s, flags=re.U).strip()
+
+def parse_unicode(text):
+    "Decodes unicode string from string encoded according to RFC2047"
+
+    decoded_string, charset = email.header.decode_header(text)[0]
+    if charset is not None:
+        try:
+            text = decoded_string.decode(charset)
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            pass
+    else:
+        text = decoded_string
+    return text