diff --git a/rpc/core/names.go b/rpc/core/names.go
index b73662d2..5c238b44 100644
--- a/rpc/core/names.go
+++ b/rpc/core/names.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	ctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
 )
 
-// XXX: need we be careful about rendering bytes as string or is that their problem ?
 func NameRegEntry(name string) (*ctypes.ResponseNameRegEntry, error) {
 	st := consensusState.GetState() // performs a copy
 	entry := st.GetNameRegEntry(name)
diff --git a/state/block_cache.go b/state/block_cache.go
index 53278aa1..8cc4ccb0 100644
--- a/state/block_cache.go
+++ b/state/block_cache.go
@@ -245,7 +245,6 @@ func (cache *BlockCache) Sync() {
 
 	// Determine order for names
 	// note names may be of any length less than some limit
-	// and are arbitrary byte arrays...
 	nameStrs := []string{}
 	for nameStr := range cache.names {
 		nameStrs = append(nameStrs, nameStr)
@@ -256,9 +255,9 @@ func (cache *BlockCache) Sync() {
 	for _, nameStr := range nameStrs {
 		entry, removed, dirty := cache.names[nameStr].unpack()
 		if removed {
-			removed := cache.backend.RemoveNameRegEntry(entry.Name)
+			removed := cache.backend.RemoveNameRegEntry(nameStr)
 			if !removed {
-				panic(Fmt("Could not remove namereg entry to be removed: %X", entry.Name))
+				panic(Fmt("Could not remove namereg entry to be removed: %s", nameStr))
 			}
 		} else {
 			if entry == nil {
diff --git a/state/state_test.go b/state/state_test.go
index 0a562f7f..7e8ccc2d 100644
--- a/state/state_test.go
+++ b/state/state_test.go
@@ -331,6 +331,44 @@ func TestNameTxs(t *testing.T) {
 	entry = state.GetNameRegEntry(name)
 	validateEntry(t, entry, name, data, privAccounts[1].Address, uint64(state.LastBlockHeight)+numDesiredBlocks)
 
+	// test removal
+	amt = fee
+	data = ""
+	tx, _ = types.NewNameTx(state, privAccounts[1].PubKey, name, data, amt, fee)
+	tx.Sign(privAccounts[1])
+	if err := execTxWithStateNewBlock(state, tx, true); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	entry = state.GetNameRegEntry(name)
+	if entry != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected removed entry to be nil")
+	}
+
+	// create entry by key0,
+	// test removal by key1 after expiry
+	name = "looking_good/karaoke_bar"
+	data = "some data"
+	amt = fee + numDesiredBlocks*types.NameCostPerByte*types.NameCostPerBlock*types.BaseEntryCost(name, data)
+	tx, _ = types.NewNameTx(state, privAccounts[0].PubKey, name, data, amt, fee)
+	tx.Sign(privAccounts[0])
+	if err := execTxWithState(state, tx, true); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	entry = state.GetNameRegEntry(name)
+	validateEntry(t, entry, name, data, privAccounts[0].Address, uint64(state.LastBlockHeight)+numDesiredBlocks)
+	state.LastBlockHeight = uint(entry.Expires)
+
+	amt = fee
+	data = ""
+	tx, _ = types.NewNameTx(state, privAccounts[1].PubKey, name, data, amt, fee)
+	tx.Sign(privAccounts[1])
+	if err := execTxWithStateNewBlock(state, tx, true); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	entry = state.GetNameRegEntry(name)
+	if entry != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected removed entry to be nil")
+	}
 }
 
 // TODO: test overflows.