diff --git a/code/defines/procs/helper_text.dm b/code/defines/procs/helper_text.dm
index 5f5f086943f..d5379b9daeb 100644
--- a/code/defines/procs/helper_text.dm
+++ b/code/defines/procs/helper_text.dm
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 			else			non_whitespace = 1
 	if(non_whitespace)		return text		//only accepts the text if it has some non-spaces
 
+
 //Filters out undesirable characters from names
 /proc/reject_bad_name(var/t_in, var/allow_numbers=0, var/max_length=MAX_NAME_LEN)
 	if(!t_in || length(t_in) > max_length)
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@
 
 			// '  -  .
 			if(39,45,46)			//Common name punctuation
+				if(!last_char_group) continue
 				t_out += ascii2text(ascii_char)
 				last_char_group = 2