diff --git a/gramps/gui/editors/displaytabs/surnametab.py b/gramps/gui/editors/displaytabs/surnametab.py
index 1d4b079a9..1b880c7f9 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/editors/displaytabs/surnametab.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/editors/displaytabs/surnametab.py
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ from ...ddtargets import DdTargets
 from gramps.gen.lib import Surname, NameOriginType
 from ...utils import match_primary_mask, no_match_primary_mask
 
+# table for skipping illegal control chars
+INVISIBLE = dict.fromkeys(list(range(32)))
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # SurnameTab
@@ -281,7 +284,8 @@ class SurnameTab(EmbeddedList):
         colnr must be the column in the model.
         """
         node = self.model.get_iter(path)
-        self.model.set_value(node, colnr, new_text)
+        text = new_text.translate(INVISIBLE).strip()
+        self.model.set_value(node, colnr, text)
         self.update()
 
     def on_orig_edited(self, cellr, path, new_text, colnr):
diff --git a/gramps/gui/widgets/monitoredwidgets.py b/gramps/gui/widgets/monitoredwidgets.py
index 4a2c59c60..00d970377 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/widgets/monitoredwidgets.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/widgets/monitoredwidgets.py
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ from gramps.gen.errors import ValidationError
 _RETURN = Gdk.keyval_from_name("Return")
 _KP_ENTER = Gdk.keyval_from_name("KP_Enter")
 
+# table for skipping illegal control chars
+INVISIBLE = dict.fromkeys(list(range(32)))
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # MonitoredCheckbox class
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ class MonitoredEntry:
         if get_val():
             self.obj.set_text(get_val())
         self.obj.connect('changed', self._on_change)
+        self.obj.connect('focus-out-event', self._on_quit)
         self.obj.set_editable(not read_only)
 
         if autolist:
@@ -136,8 +140,15 @@ class MonitoredEntry:
     def connect(self, signal, callback, *data):
         self.obj.connect(signal, callback, *data)
 
+    def _on_quit(self, obj, event):
+        text = obj.get_text().translate(INVISIBLE).strip()
+        self.set_val(text)
+        obj.set_text(text)
+
     def _on_change(self, obj):
-        self.set_val(obj.get_text())
+        new_text = obj.get_text().translate(INVISIBLE)
+        self.set_val(new_text)
+        obj.set_text(new_text)
         if self.changed:
             self.changed(obj)