diff --git a/Sources/Actions/Register2.php b/Sources/Actions/Register2.php
index d70f3a486a..a0f27cd102 100644
--- a/Sources/Actions/Register2.php
+++ b/Sources/Actions/Register2.php
@@ -212,8 +212,13 @@ function (&$value, $key) {
 				Db::$db->free_result($request);
 			}
 
+			// What gets stored is the entity encoded form of the name, which is
+			// wider than what was typed wherever a character needs an entity,
+			// and real_name holds 255 characters.
+			$encoded_name = Utils::htmlspecialchars($_POST['real_name'], ENT_QUOTES);
+
 			// Only set it if you can and if we are sure it is good
-			if ($can_edit_display_name && Utils::htmlTrim($_POST['real_name']) != '' && !Security::isReservedName($_POST['real_name']) && Utils::entityStrlen($_POST['real_name']) < 60) {
+			if ($can_edit_display_name && Utils::htmlTrim($_POST['real_name']) != '' && !Security::isReservedName($_POST['real_name']) && Utils::entityStrlen($_POST['real_name']) < 60 && mb_strlen($encoded_name) <= 255) {
 				$this->possible_strings[] = 'real_name';
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/Sources/Profile.php b/Sources/Profile.php
index 0ddd3d12ce..2711ccb38a 100644
--- a/Sources/Profile.php
+++ b/Sources/Profile.php
@@ -698,7 +698,12 @@ public function loadStandardFields(bool $force_reload = false): void
 						return 'no_name';
 					}
 
-					if (Utils::entityStrlen($value) > 60) {
+					// The name is stored with entities in place of the characters
+					// that need them, so it is wider in the column than it was in
+					// the box: a double quote costs six characters there, an
+					// ampersand five. real_name holds 255, and a name inside the
+					// 60 character limit can still be wider than that.
+					if (Utils::entityStrlen($value) > 60 || mb_strlen($value) > 255) {
 						return 'name_too_long';
 					}