diff --git a/app/models/artist.rb b/app/models/artist.rb
index 2a063dcd1..b32a97c72 100644
--- a/app/models/artist.rb
+++ b/app/models/artist.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Artist < ApplicationRecord
   concerning :NameMethods do
     class_methods do
       def normalize_name(name)
-        name.to_s.mb_chars.downcase.strip.gsub(/ /, "_").to_s
+        name.to_s.downcase.strip.gsub(/ /, "_").to_s
       end
 
       def normalize_other_names(other_names)
diff --git a/app/models/pool.rb b/app/models/pool.rb
index 998b9dc5f..ea9397a94 100644
--- a/app/models/pool.rb
+++ b/app/models/pool.rb
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Pool < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def self.normalize_name_for_search(name)
-    normalize_name(name).mb_chars.downcase
+    normalize_name(name).downcase
   end
 
   def self.named(name)
diff --git a/app/models/pool_version.rb b/app/models/pool_version.rb
index 2ce03400f..5efc6747c 100644
--- a/app/models/pool_version.rb
+++ b/app/models/pool_version.rb
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class PoolVersion < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def self.normalize_name_for_search(name)
-    normalize_name(name).mb_chars.downcase
+    normalize_name(name).downcase
   end
 
   def previous
diff --git a/app/models/tag.rb b/app/models/tag.rb
index 849056646..eb5222d79 100644
--- a/app/models/tag.rb
+++ b/app/models/tag.rb
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ class Tag < ApplicationRecord
 
     class_methods do
       def normalize_name(name)
-        name.to_s.mb_chars.downcase.strip.tr(" ", "_").to_s
+        name.to_s.downcase.strip.tr(" ", "_").to_s
       end
 
       def create_for_list(names)
diff --git a/app/models/tag_relationship.rb b/app/models/tag_relationship.rb
index d1114de31..af6674d19 100644
--- a/app/models/tag_relationship.rb
+++ b/app/models/tag_relationship.rb
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ class TagRelationship < ApplicationRecord
   validate :antecedent_and_consequent_are_different
 
   def normalize_names
-    self.antecedent_name = antecedent_name.mb_chars.downcase.tr(" ", "_")
-    self.consequent_name = consequent_name.mb_chars.downcase.tr(" ", "_")
+    self.antecedent_name = antecedent_name.downcase.tr(" ", "_")
+    self.consequent_name = consequent_name.downcase.tr(" ", "_")
   end
 
   def is_rejected?
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 9069ce2e4..5989ad080 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
       end
 
       def normalize_name(name)
-        name.to_s.mb_chars.downcase.strip.tr(" ", "_").to_s
+        name.to_s.downcase.strip.tr(" ", "_").to_s
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb b/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
index fd76388ea..0d8836193 100644
--- a/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tag_alias_test.rb
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ class TagAliasTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       ta = create(:tag_alias, antecedent_name: "aaa", consequent_name: "bbb")
 
       assert_equal(["bbb"], TagAlias.to_aliased("aaa"))
-      assert_equal(["bbb"], TagAlias.to_aliased("aaa".mb_chars))
       assert_equal(["bbb", "ccc"], TagAlias.to_aliased(["aaa", "ccc"]))
       assert_equal(["ccc", "bbb"], TagAlias.to_aliased(["ccc", "bbb"]))
       assert_equal(["bbb", "bbb"], TagAlias.to_aliased(["aaa", "aaa"]))