diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
index b38718fdc418..2d0f117e81f8 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ public Server(IPEndPoint endpoint, ServerSettings settings, ModData modData)
 			Port = localEndpoint.Port;
 
 			Settings = settings;
+
+			Settings.Name = OpenRA.Settings.SanitizedServerName(Settings.Name);
+
 			ModData = modData;
 
 			randomSeed = (int)DateTime.Now.ToBinary();
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs
index 0b3d87274992..54c53041c123 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs
@@ -321,6 +321,14 @@ static string SanitizedName(string dirty)
 			return clean;
 		}
 
+		public static string SanitizedServerName(string dirty)
+		{
+			if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(dirty))
+				return new ServerSettings().Name;
+			else
+				return SanitizedName(dirty);
+		}
+
 		public static string SanitizedPlayerName(string dirty)
 		{
 			var forbiddenNames = new string[] { "Open", "Closed" };
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs
index 0a13a5aba845..bcc0d5128381 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/ServerCreationLogic.cs
@@ -54,8 +54,17 @@ public ServerCreationLogic(Widget widget, Action onExit, Action openLobby)
 				panel.Get<LabelWidget>("MAP_NAME").GetText = () => preview.Title;
 			}
 
-			panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("SERVER_NAME").Text = settings.Server.Name ?? "";
+			var serverName = panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("SERVER_NAME");
+			serverName.Text = Settings.SanitizedServerName(settings.Server.Name);
+			serverName.OnEnterKey = () => { serverName.YieldKeyboardFocus(); return true; };
+			serverName.OnLoseFocus = () =>
+			{
+				serverName.Text = Settings.SanitizedServerName(serverName.Text);
+				settings.Server.Name = serverName.Text;
+			};
+
 			panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("LISTEN_PORT").Text = settings.Server.ListenPort.ToString();
+
 			advertiseOnline = Game.Settings.Server.AdvertiseOnline;
 
 			var externalPort = panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("EXTERNAL_PORT");
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ public ServerCreationLogic(Widget widget, Action onExit, Action openLobby)
 
 		void CreateAndJoin()
 		{
-			var name = panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("SERVER_NAME").Text;
+			var name = Settings.SanitizedServerName(panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("SERVER_NAME").Text);
 			int listenPort, externalPort;
 			if (!Exts.TryParseIntegerInvariant(panel.Get<TextFieldWidget>("LISTEN_PORT").Text, out listenPort))
 				listenPort = 1234;