diff --git a/middleware/changeLanguage.js b/middleware/changeLanguage.js
index f8f07c8c9..90d45b99e 100644
--- a/middleware/changeLanguage.js
+++ b/middleware/changeLanguage.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var field = require('../helper/fieldValue');
 var logger = require( 'pelias-logger' ).get( 'api' );
 const _ = require('lodash');
 
@@ -64,6 +65,11 @@ function updateDocs( req, res, translations ){
   // iterate over response documents
   res.data.forEach( function( doc, p ){
 
+    // update name.default to the request language (if available)
+    if (req.clean.lang.defaulted === false) {
+      translateNameDefault(doc, req.clean.lang.iso6391);
+    }
+
     // skip invalid records
     if( !doc || !doc.parent ){ return; }
 
@@ -120,4 +126,11 @@ function isLanguageChangeRequired( req, res ){
          req.hasOwnProperty('language');
 }
 
+// update name.default with the corresponding translation if available
+function translateNameDefault(doc, lang) {
+    if (lang && _.has(doc, 'name.' + lang)) {
+        doc.name.default = field.getStringValue(doc.name[lang]);
+    }
+}
+
 module.exports = setup;
diff --git a/test/unit/middleware/changeLanguage.js b/test/unit/middleware/changeLanguage.js
index ecdb40d0c..66c1fda31 100644
--- a/test/unit/middleware/changeLanguage.js
+++ b/test/unit/middleware/changeLanguage.js
@@ -133,7 +133,9 @@ module.exports.tests.success_conditions = (test, common) => {
     const req = {
       clean: {
         lang: {
-          iso6393: 'requested language'
+          iso6393: 'requested language',
+          iso6391: 'requested language',
+          defaulted: false
         }
       }
     };
@@ -179,6 +181,32 @@ module.exports.tests.success_conditions = (test, common) => {
             layer13_id: [undefined],
             layer13: ['original name for layer13']
           }
+        },
+        // doc with name that will be translated
+        {
+          name: {
+            default: 'original name for 4th result',
+            'requested language': 'translated name'
+          },
+          // note that this is address!
+          layer: 'address',
+          parent: {
+            layer1_id: ['1'],
+            layer1: ['original name for layer1']
+          }
+        },
+        // doc with name that will be translated
+        {
+          name: {
+            default: 'original name for 5th result',
+            'random language': 'translated name'
+          },
+          // note that this is address!
+          layer: 'address',
+          parent: {
+            layer1_id: ['1'],
+            layer1: ['original name for layer1']
+          }
         }
       ]
     };
@@ -223,6 +251,28 @@ module.exports.tests.success_conditions = (test, common) => {
               layer13_id: [undefined],
               layer13: ['original name for layer13']
             }
+          },
+          {
+            name: {
+              default: 'translated name',
+              'requested language': 'translated name'
+            },
+            layer: 'address',
+            parent: {
+              layer1_id: ['1'],
+              layer1: ['replacement name for layer1']
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            name: {
+              default: 'original name for 5th result',
+              'random language': 'translated name'
+            },
+            layer: 'address',
+            parent: {
+              layer1_id: ['1'],
+              layer1: ['replacement name for layer1']
+            }
           }
         ]
       });