diff --git a/picard/album.py b/picard/album.py
index 4aedbbf70..edd100d65 100644
--- a/picard/album.py
+++ b/picard/album.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
 
         # 'Translate' artist name
         if self.config.setting['translate_artist_names']:
-            m['albumartist'] = m['artist'] = translate_artist(m)
+            m['albumartist'] = m['artist'] = translate_artist(m['artist'], m['artistsort'])
 
         # Custom VA name
         if m['musicbrainz_artistid'] == VARIOUS_ARTISTS_ID:
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class Album(DataObject, Item):
 
             # 'Translate' artist name
             if self.config.setting['translate_artist_names']:
-                tm['artist'] = translate_artist(tm)
+                tm['artist'] = translate_artist(tm['artist'], tm['artistsort'])
 
             # Custom VA name
             if tm['musicbrainz_artistid'] == VARIOUS_ARTISTS_ID:
diff --git a/picard/mbxml.py b/picard/mbxml.py
index 8d7179a9e..f1127c789 100644
--- a/picard/mbxml.py
+++ b/picard/mbxml.py
@@ -80,30 +80,6 @@ def _relations_to_metadata(relation_lists, m):
         # TODO: Release, Track, URL relations
 
 
-def _reverse_sortname(sortname):
-    """Reverse sortnames."""
-    chunks = [a.strip() for a in sortname.split(",")]
-    if len(chunks) == 2:
-        return "%s %s" % (chunks[1], chunks[0])
-    elif len(chunks) == 3:
-        return "%s %s %s" % (chunks[2], chunks[1], chunks[0])
-    elif len(chunks) == 4:
-        return "%s %s, %s %s" % (chunks[1], chunks[0], chunks[3], chunks[2])
-    else:
-        return sortname.strip()
-
-
-def translate_artist(m):
-    """'Translate' the artist name by reversing the sortname."""
-    name = m['artist']
-    sortname = m['artistsort']
-    for c in name:
-        ctg = unicodedata.category(c)
-        if ctg[0] not in ("P", "Z") and ctg != "Nd" and unicodedata.name(c).find("LATIN") == -1:
-            return " & ".join(map(_reverse_sortname, sortname.split("&")))
-    return name
-
-
 def _set_artist_item(m, release, albumname, name, value):
     if release:
         m[albumname] = value
diff --git a/picard/util/__init__.py b/picard/util/__init__.py
index 2c4a66e5d..0f50cb706 100644
--- a/picard/util/__init__.py
+++ b/picard/util/__init__.py
@@ -209,6 +209,28 @@ def make_short_filename(prefix, filename, length=250, max_length=250,
     return os.path.join(*parts)
 
 
+def _reverse_sortname(sortname):
+    """Reverse sortnames."""
+    chunks = [a.strip() for a in sortname.split(",")]
+    if len(chunks) == 2:
+        return "%s %s" % (chunks[1], chunks[0])
+    elif len(chunks) == 3:
+        return "%s %s %s" % (chunks[2], chunks[1], chunks[0])
+    elif len(chunks) == 4:
+        return "%s %s, %s %s" % (chunks[1], chunks[0], chunks[3], chunks[2])
+    else:
+        return sortname.strip()
+
+
+def translate_artist(name, sortname):
+    """'Translate' the artist name by reversing the sortname."""
+    for c in name:
+        ctg = unicodedata.category(c)
+        if ctg[0] not in ("P", "Z") and ctg != "Nd" and unicodedata.name(c).find("LATIN") == -1:
+            return " & ".join(map(_reverse_sortname, sortname.split("&")))
+    return name
+
+
 try:
     from functools import partial
 except ImportError:
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index 819b967a0..00fea7336 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class ShortFilenameTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 class TranslateArtistTest(unittest.TestCase):
-    
+
     def test_latin(self):
         self.failUnlessEqual(u"Jean Michel Jarre", util.translate_artist(u"Jean Michel Jarre", u"Jarre, Jean Michel"))
         self.failIfEqual(u"Jarre, Jean Michel", util.translate_artist(u"Jean Michel Jarre", u"Jarre, Jean Michel"))