diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
index 4a44b0cefa..a640c50fb8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
 from calibre.gui2.progress_indicator import ProgressIndicator
 from calibre.utils.config import dynamic
 from calibre.utils.titlecase import titlecase
-from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
+from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key, capitalize
 
 class MyBlockingBusy(QDialog):
 
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(QDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
                             _('Lower Case') : lambda x: icu_lower(x),
                             _('Upper Case') : lambda x: icu_upper(x),
                             _('Title Case') : lambda x: titlecase(x),
+                            _('Capitalize') : lambda x: capitalize(x),
                     }
 
     s_r_match_modes = [     _('Character match'),
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
index 311cbaf369..e82e1dddd4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
@@ -1023,8 +1023,7 @@ class DeviceBooksModel(BooksModel): # {{{
                     x = ''
                 if y == None:
                     y = ''
-                x, y = icu_lower(x.strip()), icu_lower(y.strip())
-                return icu_strcmp(x, y)
+                return icu_strcmp(x.strip(), y.strip())
             return _strcmp
         def datecmp(x, y):
             x = self.db[x].datetime
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py b/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
index 15534a9c8a..6c4ddce81f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/formatter.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import re, string, traceback
 
 from calibre.constants import DEBUG
 from calibre.utils.titlecase import titlecase
+from calibre.utils.icu import capitalize
 
 class TemplateFormatter(string.Formatter):
     '''
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ class TemplateFormatter(string.Formatter):
                     'uppercase'     : (0, lambda s,x: x.upper()),
                     'lowercase'     : (0, lambda s,x: x.lower()),
                     'titlecase'     : (0, lambda s,x: titlecase(x)),
-                    'capitalize'    : (0, lambda s,x: x.capitalize()),
+                    'capitalize'    : (0, lambda s,x: capitalize(x)),
                     'contains'      : (3, _contains),
                     'ifempty'       : (1, _ifempty),
                     'lookup'        : (-1, _lookup),
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/icu.py b/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
index d7760671c9..6ae7398fb4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def icu_case_sensitive_sort_key(collator, obj):
     return collator.sort_key(obj)
 
 def icu_strcmp(collator, a, b):
-    return collator.strcmp(a.lower(), b.lower())
+    return collator.strcmp(lower(a), lower(b))
 
 def py_strcmp(a, b):
     return cmp(a.lower(), b.lower())
@@ -104,6 +104,13 @@ lower = (lambda s: s.lower()) if _icu_not_ok else \
 title_case = (lambda s: s.title()) if _icu_not_ok else \
     partial(_icu.title, get_locale())
 
+def icu_capitalize(s):
+    s = lower(s)
+    return s.replace(s[0], upper(s[0]))
+
+capitalize = (lambda s: s.capitalize()) if _icu_not_ok else \
+    (lambda s: icu_capitalize(s))
+
 ################################################################################
 
 def test(): # {{{
@@ -215,14 +222,15 @@ pêché'''
         print '\t', x.encode('utf-8')
     if fs != create(french_good):
         print 'French failed (note that French fails with icu < 4.6 i.e. on windows and OS X)'
-        return
+        # return
     test_strcmp(german + french)
 
     print '\nTesting case transforms in current locale'
     for x in ('a', 'Alice\'s code'):
-        print 'Upper:', x, '->', 'py:', x.upper().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', upper(x).encode('utf-8')
-        print 'Lower:', x, '->', 'py:', x.lower().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', lower(x).encode('utf-8')
-        print 'Title:', x, '->', 'py:', x.title().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', title_case(x).encode('utf-8')
+        print 'Upper:     ', x, '->', 'py:', x.upper().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', upper(x).encode('utf-8')
+        print 'Lower:     ', x, '->', 'py:', x.lower().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', lower(x).encode('utf-8')
+        print 'Title:     ', x, '->', 'py:', x.title().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', title_case(x).encode('utf-8')
+        print 'Capitalize:', x, '->', 'py:', x.capitalize().encode('utf-8'), 'icu:', capitalize(x).encode('utf-8')
         print
 
 # }}}
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/titlecase.py b/src/calibre/utils/titlecase.py
index b85670f038..bbc4c26688 100755
--- a/src/calibre/utils/titlecase.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/titlecase.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ License: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
 
 import re
 
+from calibre.utils.icu import capitalize
+
 __all__ = ['titlecase']
 __version__ = '0.5'
 
@@ -40,11 +42,6 @@ def titlecase(text):
 
     """
 
-    def capitalize(w):
-        w = icu_lower(w)
-        w = w.replace(w[0], icu_upper(w[0]))
-        return w
-
     all_caps = ALL_CAPS.match(text)
 
     words = re.split('\s', text)