diff --git a/app/models/profile.rb b/app/models/profile.rb
index ecc0fb5ef..328fa45c0 100644
--- a/app/models/profile.rb
+++ b/app/models/profile.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ class Profile
 
   validates_presence_of :first_name, :last_name
 
+  before_save :strip_names
+
   def person_id
     self._parent_document.id
   end
@@ -27,4 +29,9 @@ class Profile
     self._parent_document
   end
 
+  private
+  def strip_names
+    first_name.strip!
+    last_name.strip!
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/profile_spec.rb b/spec/models/profile_spec.rb
index 7bba8311c..4830652f8 100644
--- a/spec/models/profile_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/profile_spec.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ describe Profile do
     @person = Factory.build(:person)
   end
 
+  describe 'sanitization' do
+    it 'strips the names' do
+      @person.profile = Factory.build(:profile, :first_name => "  Bob", :last_name => "Bobson  ")
+      @person.profile.save
+      @person.profile.first_name.should == "Bob"
+      @person.profile.last_name.should == "Bobson"
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'requirements' do
     it "should include a first name" do
       @person.profile = Factory.build(:profile,:first_name => nil)
@@ -23,7 +32,5 @@ describe Profile do
       @person.profile.last_name = "Smith"
       @person.profile.valid?.should be true
     end
-
   end
-
 end