diff --git a/src/calibre/library/database2.py b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
index b545a5ed3b..59615657d8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/database2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
         authors = self.authors(id, index_is_id=True)
         if not authors:
             authors = _('Unknown')
-        author = ascii_filename(authors.split(',')[0]
+        author = ascii_filename(authors.split(',')[0].replace('|', ',')
                     )[:self.PATH_LIMIT].decode('ascii', 'replace')
         title  = ascii_filename(self.title(id, index_is_id=True)
                     )[:self.PATH_LIMIT].decode('ascii', 'replace')