diff --git a/resources/default_tweaks.py b/resources/default_tweaks.py
index 12731a8c42..f11a0b7bc0 100644
--- a/resources/default_tweaks.py
+++ b/resources/default_tweaks.py
@@ -62,10 +62,16 @@ authors_completer_append_separator = False
 # The author name suffixes are words that are ignored when they occur at the
 # end of an author name. The case of the suffix is ignored and trailing
 # periods are automatically handled.
+# The author name copy words are a set of words which if they occur in an
+# author name cause the automatically geenrated author sort string to be
+# identical to the author name. This means that the sort for a string like Acme
+# Inc. will be Acme Inc. instead of Inc., Acme
 author_sort_copy_method = 'comma'
 author_name_suffixes = ('Jr', 'Sr', 'Inc', 'Ph.D', 'Phd',
                         'MD', 'M.D', 'I', 'II', 'III', 'IV',
                         'Junior', 'Senior')
+author_name_copywords = ('Corporation', 'Company', 'Co.', 'Agency', 'Council',
+        'Committee', 'Inc.', 'Institute', 'Society', 'Club', 'Team')
 
 #: Use author sort in Tag Browser
 # Set which author field to display in the tags pane (the list of authors,
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/__init__.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/__init__.py
index 2c26d011b7..a9816db5ae 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/__init__.py
@@ -36,8 +36,15 @@ def author_to_author_sort(author, method=None):
         return author
     if method is None:
         method = tweaks['author_sort_copy_method']
+
+    ltoks = frozenset(x.lower() for x in tokens)
+    copy_words = frozenset(x.lower() for x in tweaks['author_name_copywords'])
+    if ltoks.intersection(copy_words):
+        method = u'copy'
+
     if method == u'copy':
         return author
+
     suffixes = set([x.lower() for x in tweaks['author_name_suffixes']])
     suffixes |= set([x+u'.' for x in suffixes])
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
index 29f6fffa0b..3ec34938af 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/basic_widgets.py
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class AuthorSortEdit(EnLineEdit):
     LABEL = _('Author s&ort:')
 
     def __init__(self, parent, authors_edit, autogen_button, db,
-            copy_a_to_as_action, copy_as_to_a_action):
+            copy_a_to_as_action, copy_as_to_a_action, a_to_as, as_to_a):
         EnLineEdit.__init__(self, parent)
         self.authors_edit = authors_edit
         self.db = db
@@ -333,6 +333,8 @@ class AuthorSortEdit(EnLineEdit):
         autogen_button.clicked.connect(self.auto_generate)
         copy_a_to_as_action.triggered.connect(self.auto_generate)
         copy_as_to_a_action.triggered.connect(self.copy_to_authors)
+        a_to_as.triggered.connect(self.author_to_sort)
+        as_to_a.triggered.connect(self.sort_to_author)
         self.update_state()
 
     @dynamic_property
@@ -389,10 +391,21 @@ class AuthorSortEdit(EnLineEdit):
 
     def auto_generate(self, *args):
         au = unicode(self.authors_edit.text())
-        au = re.sub(r'\s+et al\.$', '', au)
+        au = re.sub(r'\s+et al\.$', '', au).strip()
         authors = string_to_authors(au)
         self.current_val = self.db.author_sort_from_authors(authors)
 
+    def author_to_sort(self, *args):
+        au = unicode(self.authors_edit.text())
+        au = re.sub(r'\s+et al\.$', '', au).strip()
+        if au:
+            self.current_val = au
+
+    def sort_to_author(self, *args):
+        aus = self.current_val
+        if aus:
+            self.authors_edit.current_val = [aus]
+
     def initialize(self, db, id_):
         self.current_val = db.author_sort(id_, index_is_id=True)
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py
index dc3983171b..a2666b0351 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata/single.py
@@ -130,10 +130,15 @@ class MetadataSingleDialogBase(ResizableDialog):
         ac = m.addAction(QIcon(I('forward.png')), _('Set author sort from author'))
         ac2 = m.addAction(QIcon(I('back.png')), _('Set author from author sort'))
         ac3 = m.addAction(QIcon(I('user_profile.png')), _('Manage authors'))
+        ac4 = m.addAction(QIcon(I('next.png')),
+                _('Copy author to author sort'))
+        ac5 = m.addAction(QIcon(I('previous.png')),
+                _('Copy author sort to author'))
+
         b.setMenu(m)
         self.authors = AuthorsEdit(self, ac3)
         self.author_sort = AuthorSortEdit(self, self.authors, b, self.db, ac,
-                ac2)
+                ac2, ac4, ac5)
         self.basic_metadata_widgets.extend([self.authors, self.author_sort])
 
         self.swap_title_author_button = QToolButton(self)