diff --git a/code/modules/client/preferences.dm b/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
index 2291d596464..7c1c1490c02 100644
--- a/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
+++ b/code/modules/client/preferences.dm
@@ -1102,11 +1102,13 @@ GLOBAL_LIST_EMPTY(preferences_datums)
 							ghost_others = GHOST_OTHERS_SIMPLE
 
 				if("name")
-					var/new_name = reject_bad_name( input(user, "Choose your character's name:", "Character Preference")  as text|null )
+					var/new_name = input(user, "Choose your character's name:", "Character Preference")  as text|null
 					if(new_name)
-						real_name = new_name
-					else
-						to_chat(user, "<font color='red'>Invalid name. Your name should be at least 2 and at most [MAX_NAME_LEN] characters long. It may only contain the characters A-Z, a-z, -, ' and .</font>")
+						new_name = reject_bad_name(new_name)
+						if(new_name)
+							real_name = new_name
+						else
+							to_chat(user, "<font color='red'>Invalid name. Your name should be at least 2 and at most [MAX_NAME_LEN] characters long. It may only contain the characters A-Z, a-z, -, ' and .</font>")
 
 				if("age")
 					var/new_age = input(user, "Choose your character's age:\n([AGE_MIN]-[AGE_MAX])", "Character Preference") as num|null