diff --git a/admin/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php b/admin/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
index d8a13f0cbb..f4c7323af9 100644
--- a/admin/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
+++ b/admin/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
@@ -231,11 +231,14 @@
 
 				if ($this->appname && $cat['app_name'] == 'phpgw')
 				{
-					$appendix = '<' . lang('Global') . '>';
+					$appendix = ' ♦';
 				}
 				elseif ($cat['owner'] != $accountId)
 				{
-					$appendix = '<' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+					if ($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['show_category_owner'])
+					{
+						$appendix = ' <' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+					}
 				}
 				else
 				{
diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.select_widget.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.select_widget.inc.php
index b537b01ec6..e4b70d6a04 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.select_widget.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.select_widget.inc.php
@@ -195,7 +195,10 @@
 						}
 						elseif ($cat['owner'] != $accountId)
 						{
-							$s .= '<' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+							if ($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['show_category_owner'])
+							{
+								$s .= ' <' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+							}
 						}
 						elseif ($cat['access'] == 'private')
 						{
diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.tree_widget.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.tree_widget.inc.php
index 9bbea7e2e4..c1ad86122d 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.tree_widget.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.tree_widget.inc.php
@@ -95,7 +95,10 @@ class tree_widget
 					}
 					elseif ($cat['owner'] != $accountId)
 					{
-						$s .= '<' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+						if ($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['show_category_owner'])
+						{
+							$s .= ' <' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+						}
 					}
 					elseif ($cat['access'] == 'private') {
 						$s .= ' ♥';
diff --git a/infolog/inc/class.infolog_hooks.inc.php b/infolog/inc/class.infolog_hooks.inc.php
index d823f26f0b..3d3f1f0eaa 100644
--- a/infolog/inc/class.infolog_hooks.inc.php
+++ b/infolog/inc/class.infolog_hooks.inc.php
@@ -343,7 +343,10 @@ class infolog_hooks
 			}
 			elseif ($cat['owner'] != $accountId)
 			{
-				$s .= '<' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+				if ($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['show_category_owner'])
+				{
+					$s .= ' <' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+				}
 			}
 			elseif ($cat['access'] == 'private')
 			{
diff --git a/phpgwapi/inc/class.categories.inc.php b/phpgwapi/inc/class.categories.inc.php
index 985b7cb6e8..719686d1b1 100644
--- a/phpgwapi/inc/class.categories.inc.php
+++ b/phpgwapi/inc/class.categories.inc.php
@@ -405,7 +405,10 @@ class categories
 					}
 					elseif ($cat['owner'] != $this->account_id)
 					{
-						$s .= '<' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+						if ($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['show_category_owner'])
+						{
+							$s .= ' <' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '>';
+						}
 					}
 					elseif ($cat['access'] == 'private')
 					{
diff --git a/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php b/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
index cee0d3cd46..4ed7d85362 100644
--- a/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
+++ b/preferences/inc/class.uicategories.inc.php
@@ -216,22 +216,22 @@
 				$GLOBALS['egw']->template->set_var('color',$gray < 128 ? 'style="color: white;"' : '');
 
 				$accountId = $GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['account_id'];
+				$appendix = '';
 
-				if ($cat['app_name'] == 'phpgw')
+				if ($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['show_category_owner'])
 				{
-					$appendix = '&lt;' . lang('Global') . '&gt;';
-				}
-				elseif ($cat['owner'] == '-1')
-				{
-					$appendix = '&lt;' . lang('Global') . '&nbsp;' . $GLOBALS['egw_info']['apps'][$cats_app]['title'] . '&gt;';
-				}
-				elseif ($cat['owner'] != $accountId)
-				{
-					$appendix = '&lt;' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '&gt;';
-				}
-				else
-				{
-					$appendix = '';
+					if ($cat['app_name'] == 'phpgw')
+					{
+						$appendix = ' &#9830;';
+					}
+					elseif ($cat['owner'] == '-1')
+					{
+						$appendix = ' &#9830;&nbsp;' . $GLOBALS['egw_info']['apps'][$cats_app]['title'];
+					}
+					elseif ($cat['owner'] != $accountId)
+					{
+						$appendix = ' &lt;' . $GLOBALS['egw']->accounts->id2name($cat['owner'], 'account_fullname') . '&gt;';
+					}
 				}
 
 				$level = $cat['level'];
diff --git a/preferences/inc/hook_settings.inc.php b/preferences/inc/hook_settings.inc.php
index 946fd5084c..ad2a95f198 100755
--- a/preferences/inc/hook_settings.inc.php
+++ b/preferences/inc/hook_settings.inc.php
@@ -316,6 +316,18 @@
 			'xmlrpc' => True,
 			'admin'  => false,
 		),
+		'show_category_owner' => array(
+			'type'		=>	'select',
+			'label'		=>	'Show the category owner with the category name.',
+			'name'		=>	'show_category_owner',
+			'values'    =>  array(
+				'1'		=>  lang('Yes'),
+				'0'     =>	lang('No'),
+			),
+			'help'		=>	'The owner is attached to distinguish between categories with the same name.  You can turn this off and will get the names only.',
+			'xmlrpc'	=>	True,
+			'admin'		=>	False
+		),
 	);
 	// disable thumbnails, if no size configured by admin
 	if (!$GLOBALS['egw_info']['server']['link_list_thumbnail']) unset($GLOBALS['settings']['link_list_thumbnail']);
diff --git a/rpc.php b/rpc.php
index 8701e77841..d9b32c244e 100644
--- a/rpc.php
+++ b/rpc.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ require_once 'Horde/RPC.php';
 $GLOBALS['egw_info'] = array(
 	'flags' => array(
 		'currentapp'			=> 'login',
+		'login'				=> True,
 		'noheader'			=> True,
 		'nonavbar'			=> True,
 		'disable_Template_class'	=> True