diff --git a/ietf/idindex/index.py b/ietf/idindex/index.py
index e0cf91e6a..08f2feac3 100644
--- a/ietf/idindex/index.py
+++ b/ietf/idindex/index.py
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ def active_drafts_index_by_group(extra_values=()):
         if d:
             if "authors" not in d:
                 d["authors"] = []
-            d["authors"].append(a.author.person.plain_name())
+            d["authors"].append(a.author.person.plain_ascii()) # This should probably change to .plain_name() when non-ascii names are permitted
 
     # put docs into groups
     for d in docs_dict.itervalues():
diff --git a/ietf/person/factories.py b/ietf/person/factories.py
index ef47865e9..57e88cd82 100644
--- a/ietf/person/factories.py
+++ b/ietf/person/factories.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class PersonFactory(factory.DjangoModelFactory):
 
     user = factory.SubFactory(UserFactory)
     name = factory.LazyAttribute(lambda p: '%s %s'%(p.user.first_name,p.user.last_name))
-    ascii = factory.LazyAttribute(lambda p: unidecode(p.name))
+    ascii = factory.LazyAttribute(lambda p: unicode(unidecode(p.name).strip()))
 
     class Params:
         with_bio = factory.Trait(
diff --git a/ietf/person/models.py b/ietf/person/models.py
index de0d49b8b..c73728a46 100644
--- a/ietf/person/models.py
+++ b/ietf/person/models.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.template.loader import render_to_string
 from django.utils.text import slugify
 
+import debug                            # pyflakes:ignore
 
 from ietf.person.name import name_parts, initials
 from ietf.utils.mail import send_mail_preformatted
@@ -55,10 +56,22 @@ class PersonInfo(models.Model):
                 # It's possibly overkill with unidecode() here, but needed until
                 # we're validating the content of the ascii field, and have
                 # verified that the field is ascii clean in the database:
-                self._cached_ascii_name = unidecode(self.ascii) 
+                if not all(ord(c) < 128 for c in self.ascii):
+                    self._cached_ascii_name = unidecode(self.ascii).strip()
+                else:
+                    self._cached_ascii_name = self.ascii
             else:
-                self._cached_ascii_name = unidecode(self.plain_name())
+                self._cached_ascii_name = unidecode(self.plain_name()).strip()
         return self._cached_ascii_name
+    def plain_ascii(self):
+        if not hasattr(self, '_cached_plain_ascii'):
+            if self.ascii:
+                ascii = unidecode(self.ascii).strip()
+            else:
+                ascii = unidecode(self.name).strip()
+            prefix, first, middle, last, suffix = name_parts(ascii)
+            self._cached_plain_ascii = u" ".join([first, last])
+        return self._cached_plain_ascii
     def initials(self):
         return initials(self.ascii or self.name)
     def last_name(self):
diff --git a/ietf/person/tests.py b/ietf/person/tests.py
index 0f0cbfeb6..0f5900a66 100644
--- a/ietf/person/tests.py
+++ b/ietf/person/tests.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 import json
 from pyquery import PyQuery
 
@@ -48,3 +50,21 @@ class PersonTests(TestCase):
         r = self.client.get(photo_url)
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
 
+    def test_name_methods(self):
+        person = PersonFactory(name=u"Dr. Jens F. Möller", )
+
+        self.assertEqual(person.name, u"Dr. Jens F. Möller" )
+        self.assertEqual(person.ascii_name(), u"Dr. Jens F. Moller" )
+        self.assertEqual(person.plain_name(), u"Jens Möller" )
+        self.assertEqual(person.plain_ascii(), u"Jens Moller" )
+        self.assertEqual(person.initials(), u"J. F.")
+        self.assertEqual(person.first_name(), u"Jens" )
+        self.assertEqual(person.last_name(), u"Möller" )
+
+        person = PersonFactory(name=u"吴建平")
+        # The following are probably incorrect because the given name should
+        # be Jianping and the surname should be Wu ...
+        # TODO: Figure out better handling for names with CJK characters.
+        # Maybe use ietf.person.cjk.*
+        self.assertEqual(person.ascii_name(), u"Wu Jian Ping")
+