diff --git a/src/firefly/js/ui/TargetPanelWorker.js b/src/firefly/js/ui/TargetPanelWorker.js
index a2ceab632c..bc07c822a4 100644
--- a/src/firefly/js/ui/TargetPanelWorker.js
+++ b/src/firefly/js/ui/TargetPanelWorker.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ function resolveObject(posFieldDef, resolver) {
                 else {
                     return {
                         showHelp: false,
-                        feedback: `Could not resolve: ${objName}`,
+                        feedback: `Could not resolve: ${decodeURIComponent(objName)}`,
                         valid: false,
                         wpt: null
                     };
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ function resolveObject(posFieldDef, resolver) {
             else {
                 return {
                     showHelp: false,
-                    feedback: `Could not resolve: ${objName}`,
+                    feedback: `Could not resolve: ${decodeURIComponent(objName)}`,
                     valid: false,
                     wpt: null
                 };
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ function resolveObject(posFieldDef, resolver) {
     ).catch((e) => {
         // e is undefined when a newer request came in, and promise is rejected
         if (e) {
-            let feedback = `Could not resolve: ${objName}`;
+            let feedback = `Could not resolve: ${decodeURIComponent(objName)}`;
             if (e.name === 'AbortError') {
                 feedback += '. Unresponsive service.';
             } else {
diff --git a/src/firefly/js/util/PositionParser.js b/src/firefly/js/util/PositionParser.js
index 37cac2308f..3675ebfc01 100644
--- a/src/firefly/js/util/PositionParser.js
+++ b/src/firefly/js/util/PositionParser.js
@@ -54,11 +54,21 @@ var makePositionParser = function(helper) {
                     isValid = true;
                 }
             } else {
-                var map= getPositionMap(s);
+                const map= getPositionMap(s);
                 _coordSys= getCoordSysFromString(map[COORDINATE_SYS]);
                 _ra = map[RA];
                 _dec = map[DEC];
-                isValid = retPP.getCoordSys() !==CoordinateSys.UNDEFINED && !isNaN(retPP.getRa()) && !isNaN(retPP.getDec());
+                const validRa = !isNaN(retPP.getRa());
+                const validDec = !isNaN(retPP.getDec());
+                // determineType uses the first string to decide if the input is a position or object name.
+                // "12 mus" (a valid object name in NED) would be classified as a position.
+                if (!validDec) {
+                    _inputType = PositionParsedInput.Name;
+                    _objName= s;
+                    isValid = true;
+                } else {
+                    isValid = retPP.getCoordSys() !== CoordinateSys.UNDEFINED && validRa && validDec;
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/firefly/js/util/StringUtils.js b/src/firefly/js/util/StringUtils.js
index 813304be73..326462c7b2 100644
--- a/src/firefly/js/util/StringUtils.js
+++ b/src/firefly/js/util/StringUtils.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export function convertExtendedAscii(sbOriginal) {
         return null;
     }
 
-    const retval= sbOriginal;
+    let retval= sbOriginal;
     let origCharAsInt;
     for (let isb = 0; isb < retval.length; isb++) {
 
@@ -66,15 +66,15 @@ export function convertExtendedAscii(sbOriginal) {
             switch (origCharAsInt) {
                 case 223:
                 case 224:
-                    retval[isb]= '"';
+                    retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '"');
                     break;
                 case 150:
                 case 151:
-                    retval[isb]= '-';
+                    retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '-');
                     break;
                 default:
                     if (origCharAsInt>127) {
-                        retval[isb]= '?';
+                        retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '?');
                     }
                     break;
             }
@@ -86,31 +86,35 @@ export function convertExtendedAscii(sbOriginal) {
                 case '\u201A': // lower quotation mark
                 case '\u2039': // Single Left-Pointing Quotation Mark
                 case '\u203A': // Single right-Pointing Quotation Mark
-                    retval[isb]= '\'';
+                    retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '\'');
                     break;
 
                 case '\u201C': // left double quote
                 case '\u201D': // right double quote
                 case '\u201E': // double low quotation mark
-                    retval[isb]= '"';
+                    retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '"');
                     break;
 
                 case '\u02DC':
-                    retval[isb]= '~';
+                    retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '~');
                     break;  // Small Tilde
 
                 case '\u2013': // En Dash
                 case '\u2014': // EM Dash
-                    retval[isb]= '-';
+                    retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '-');
                     break;
 
                 default:
                     if (origCharAsInt>127) {
-                        retval[isb]= '?';
+                        retval = replaceAt(retval, isb, '?');
                     }
                     break;
             }
         }
     }
-    return sbOriginal;
+    return retval;
 }
+
+function replaceAt(str, index, replacement) {
+    return str.substr(0, index) + replacement+ str.substr(index + replacement.length);
+}
\ No newline at end of file