diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
index 8d5462c7f7..c4282b3654 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.complete import MultiCompleteLineEdit, MultiCompleteComboBox
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
 from calibre.utils.config import tweaks, prefs
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import (title_sort, authors_to_string,
-        string_to_authors, check_isbn)
+        string_to_authors, check_isbn, authors_to_sort_string)
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import get_metadata
 from calibre.gui2 import (file_icon_provider, UNDEFINED_QDATE, UNDEFINED_DATE,
         choose_files, error_dialog, choose_images)
@@ -295,10 +295,10 @@ class AuthorSortEdit(EnLineEdit):
         return property(fget=fget, fset=fset)
 
     def update_state_and_val(self):
-        au = unicode(self.authors_edit.text())
         # Handle case change if the authors box changed
-        if strcmp(au, self.current_val) == 0:
-            self.current_val = au
+        aus = authors_to_sort_string(self.authors_edit.current_val)
+        if strcmp(aus, self.current_val) == 0:
+            self.current_val = aus
         self.update_state()
 
     def update_state(self, *args):