diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparator.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparator.java
index 96878c3a24aa..0debf886550f 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparator.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparator.java
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
  */
 package org.openmrs.util;
 
-import java.util.Comparator;
-
 import org.openmrs.Person;
 import org.openmrs.PersonName;
 
+import java.util.Comparator;
+
 /**
  * A simple person comparator for sorting persons by name. Sorts names based on the following
  * precedence: FamilyName, FamilyName2, GivenName, MiddleName, FamilyNamePrefix, FamilyNameSuffix
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ public int compare(Person person1, Person person2) {
 	 * @should return negative if personName for person1 comes before that of person2
 	 * @should return positive if personName for person1 comes after that of person2
 	 * @should return zero if the givenName middleName and familyName match
+	 * @should be case insensitive
 	 * @since 1.8
 	 */
 	public static int comparePersonsByName(Person person1, Person person2) {
@@ -55,26 +56,34 @@ public static int comparePersonsByName(Person person1, Person person2) {
 		PersonName name1 = person1.getPersonName();
 		PersonName name2 = person2.getPersonName();
 		
-		int ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyName(), name2.getFamilyName());
+		int ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyName() != null ? name1.getFamilyName().toLowerCase()
+		        : null, name2.getFamilyName() != null ? name2.getFamilyName().toLowerCase() : null);
 		
 		if (ret == 0) {
-			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyName2(), name2.getFamilyName2());
+			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyName2() != null ? name1.getFamilyName().toLowerCase()
+			        : null, name2.getFamilyName2() != null ? name2.getFamilyName2().toLowerCase() : null);
 		}
 		
 		if (ret == 0) {
-			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getGivenName(), name2.getGivenName());
+			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getGivenName() != null ? name1.getGivenName().toLowerCase()
+			        : null, name2.getGivenName() != null ? name2.getGivenName().toLowerCase() : null);
 		}
 		
 		if (ret == 0) {
-			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getMiddleName(), name2.getMiddleName());
+			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getMiddleName() != null ? name1.getMiddleName().toLowerCase()
+			        : null, name2.getMiddleName() != null ? name2.getMiddleName().toLowerCase() : null);
 		}
 		
 		if (ret == 0) {
-			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyNamePrefix(), name2.getFamilyNamePrefix());
+			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyNamePrefix() != null ? name1.getFamilyNamePrefix()
+			        .toLowerCase() : null, name2.getFamilyNamePrefix() != null ? name2.getFamilyNamePrefix().toLowerCase()
+			        : null);
 		}
 		
 		if (ret == 0) {
-			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyNameSuffix(), name2.getFamilyNameSuffix());
+			ret = OpenmrsUtil.compareWithNullAsGreatest(name1.getFamilyNameSuffix() != null ? name1.getFamilyNameSuffix()
+			        .toLowerCase() : null, name2.getFamilyNameSuffix() != null ? name2.getFamilyNameSuffix().toLowerCase()
+			        : null);
 		}
 		
 		return ret;
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparatorTest.java b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparatorTest.java
index 042ebd44d036..41e063a62734 100755
--- a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparatorTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/util/PersonByNameComparatorTest.java
@@ -65,4 +65,15 @@ public void comparePersonsByName_shouldReturnZeroIfTheGivenNameMiddleNameAndFami
 		int actualValue = PersonByNameComparator.comparePersonsByName(person1, person2);
 		Assert.assertTrue("Expected zero but it was: " + actualValue, actualValue == 0);
 	}
+	
+	@Test
+	@Verifies(value = "should not be case-sensitive", method = "comparePersonsByName(Person,Person)")
+	public void comparePersonsByName_shouldNotBeCaseSensitive() throws Exception {
+		Person person1 = new Person();
+		person1.addName(new PersonName("GIVENNAME", "MIDDLENAME", "FAMILYNAME"));
+		Person person2 = new Person();
+		person2.addName(new PersonName("givenName", "middleName", "familyName"));
+		int actualValue = PersonByNameComparator.comparePersonsByName(person1, person2);
+		Assert.assertTrue("Expected zero but it was: " + actualValue, actualValue == 0);
+	}
 }