diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeName.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeName.cs
index 371f73b27f..df31ae894a 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeName.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeName.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories
 
                 var name = Name;
 
+				// cater for instances where node has no name.
+				if(name.Length == 0)
+				{
+					return _numPos;
+ 				}
+
                 if (name[name.Length - 1] != ')')
                     return _numPos = -1;
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeNameTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeNameTests.cs
index 72f3e39874..275398091b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeNameTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Persistence/Repositories/SimilarNodeNameTests.cs
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Persistence.Repositories
         [TestCase("Alpha (10)", "Alpha (2)", +1)] // this is the real stuff
         [TestCase("Kilo", "Golf (2)", +1)]
         [TestCase("Kilo (1)", "Golf (2)", +1)]
-        public void ComparerTest(string name1, string name2, int expected)
+		[TestCase("", "", 0)]
+		public void ComparerTest(string name1, string name2, int expected)
         {
             var comparer = new SimilarNodeName.Comparer();