diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/Concept.java b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/Concept.java
index 71b8be945e69..e349a8c12ccb 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/Concept.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/openmrs/Concept.java
@@ -753,6 +753,25 @@ public ConceptName getPreferredName(Locale forLocale) {
 			}
 		}
 		
+		// look for partially locale match - any language matches takes precedence over country matches.
+		ConceptName bestMatch = null;
+		
+		for (ConceptName nameInLocale : getPartiallyCompatibleNames(forLocale)) {
+			if (ObjectUtils.nullSafeEquals(nameInLocale.isLocalePreferred(), true)) {
+				Locale nameLocale = nameInLocale.getLocale();
+				if (forLocale.getLanguage().equals(nameLocale.getLanguage())) {
+					return nameInLocale;
+				} else {
+					bestMatch = nameInLocale;
+				}
+				
+			}
+		}
+		
+		if (bestMatch != null) {
+			return bestMatch;
+		}
+		
 		return getFullySpecifiedName(forLocale);
 	}
 	
@@ -780,6 +799,20 @@ public ConceptName getFullySpecifiedName(Locale locale) {
 					return conceptName;
 				}
 			}
+			
+			// look for partially locale match - any language matches takes precedence over country matches.
+			ConceptName bestMatch = null;
+			for (ConceptName conceptName : getPartiallyCompatibleNames(locale)) {
+				if (ObjectUtils.nullSafeEquals(conceptName.isFullySpecifiedName(), true)) {
+					Locale nameLocale = conceptName.getLocale();
+					if (locale.getLanguage().equals(nameLocale.getLanguage())) {
+						return conceptName;
+					}
+					bestMatch = conceptName;
+				}
+			}
+			return bestMatch;
+			
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
@@ -802,6 +835,27 @@ public Collection<ConceptName> getNames(Locale locale) {
 		return localeNames;
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Returns all names available for locale langueage "or" country. <br/>
+	 * <br/>
+	 *
+	 * @param locale locale for which names should be returned
+	 * @return Collection of ConceptNames with the given locale langueage or country
+	 */
+	private Collection<ConceptName> getPartiallyCompatibleNames(Locale locale) {
+		Collection<ConceptName> localeNames = new Vector<ConceptName>();
+		String language = locale.getLanguage();
+		String country = locale.getCountry();
+		for (ConceptName possibleName : getNames()) {
+			Locale possibleLocale = possibleName.getLocale();
+			if (language.equals(possibleLocale.getLanguage())
+			        || (StringUtils.isNotBlank(country) && country.equals(possibleLocale.getCountry()))) {
+				localeNames.add(possibleName);
+			}
+		}
+		return localeNames;
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Returns all names from compatible locales. A locale is considered compatible if it is exactly
 	 * the same locale, or if either locale has no country specified and the language matches. <br/>
@@ -961,14 +1015,23 @@ public ConceptName getShortNameInLanguage(String language) {
 	 * @return the short name, or null if none has been explicitly set
 	 */
 	public ConceptName getShortNameInLocale(Locale locale) {
+		ConceptName bestMatch = null;
 		if (locale != null && getShortNames().size() > 0) {
 			for (ConceptName shortName : getShortNames()) {
-				if (shortName.getLocale().equals(locale)) {
+				Locale nameLocale = shortName.getLocale();
+				if (nameLocale.equals(locale)) {
 					return shortName;
 				}
+				// test for partially locale match - any language matches takes precedence over country matches.
+				if (OpenmrsUtil.nullSafeEquals(locale.getLanguage(), nameLocale.getLanguage())) {
+					bestMatch = shortName;
+				} else if (bestMatch == null && StringUtils.isNotBlank(locale.getCountry())
+				        && locale.getCountry().equals(nameLocale.getCountry())) {
+					bestMatch = shortName;
+				}
 			}
 		}
-		return null;
+		return bestMatch;
 	}
 	
 	/**
diff --git a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/ConceptTest.java b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/ConceptTest.java
index bc8743fe554c..578487c8e192 100644
--- a/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/ConceptTest.java
+++ b/api/src/test/java/org/openmrs/ConceptTest.java
@@ -952,6 +952,33 @@ public void getSynonyms_shouldSortPreferredFirst() throws Exception {
 		assertEquals("Preferred", conceptNameExpectedPreferred.getName());
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void getShortNameInLocale_shouldReturnTheBestShortNameForAConcept() throws Exception {
+		Concept concept = new Concept();
+		concept.addName(new ConceptName("Giant cat", new Locale("en")));
+		concept.addName(new ConceptName("Gato gigante", new Locale("es", "MX")));
+		
+		ConceptName shortName1 = new ConceptName("Cat", new Locale("en"));
+		shortName1.setConceptNameType(ConceptNameType.SHORT);
+		concept.addName(shortName1);
+		
+		ConceptName shortName2 = new ConceptName("Gato", new Locale("es"));
+		shortName2.setConceptNameType(ConceptNameType.SHORT);
+		concept.addName(shortName2);
+		
+		Assert.assertEquals("Gato", concept.getShortNameInLocale(new Locale("es", "ES")).getName());
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	@Verifies(value = "should return the language prefered name if no name is explicitly marked as locale preferred", method = "getPreferredName(Locale)")
+	public void getPreferredName_shouldReturnTheBesLocalePreferred() throws Exception {
+		Concept testConcept = createMockConcept(1, Locale.US);
+		// preferred name in en
+		ConceptName preferredNameEN = createMockConceptName(4, new Locale("en"), null, true);
+		testConcept.addName(preferredNameEN);
+		Assert.assertEquals(preferredNameEN.getName(), testConcept.getPreferredName(Locale.US).getName());
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Convenient factory method to create a populated Concept with a one fully specified name and
 	 * one short name