diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/creators.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/creators.js
index 87eff6333..99ae0692b 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/creators.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/creators.js
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ Zotero.Creators = new function() {
 			switch (field) {
 			case 'firstName':
 			case 'lastName':
+				if (val === undefined) continue;
 				cleanedData[field] = val.trim().normalize();
 				break;
 			
@@ -184,9 +185,9 @@ Zotero.Creators = new function() {
 			}
 		}
 		
-		// Handle API JSON format
+		// Handle API JSON .name
 		if (data.name !== undefined) {
-			cleanedData.lastName = data.name.trim();
+			cleanedData.lastName = data.name.trim().normalize();
 			cleanedData.fieldMode = 1;
 		}
 		
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js
index b6599c70c..c18257b10 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/data/item.js
@@ -974,6 +974,11 @@ Zotero.Item.prototype.getCreatorsJSON = function () {
  *                   </ul>
  */
 Zotero.Item.prototype.setCreator = function (orderIndex, data) {
+	var itemTypeID = this._itemTypeID;
+	if (!itemTypeID) {
+		throw new Error('Item type must be set before setting creators');
+	}
+	
 	this._requireData('creators');
 	
 	data = Zotero.Creators.cleanData(data);
@@ -983,7 +988,6 @@ Zotero.Item.prototype.setCreator = function (orderIndex, data) {
 	}
 	
 	// If creatorTypeID isn't valid for this type, use the primary type
-	var itemTypeID = this._itemTypeID;
 	if (!data.creatorTypeID || !Zotero.CreatorTypes.isValidForItemType(data.creatorTypeID, itemTypeID)) {
 		var msg = "Creator type '" + Zotero.CreatorTypes.getName(data.creatorTypeID) + "' "
 			+ "isn't valid for " + Zotero.ItemTypes.getName(itemTypeID)
@@ -4022,7 +4026,6 @@ Zotero.Item.prototype.fromJSON = Zotero.Promise.coroutine(function* (json) {
 		case 'key':
 		case 'version':
 		case 'itemType':
-		case 'creators':
 		case 'note':
 		// Use?
 		case 'md5':
diff --git a/test/tests/itemTest.js b/test/tests/itemTest.js
index cc726ac49..1ed70cc1d 100644
--- a/test/tests/itemTest.js
+++ b/test/tests/itemTest.js
@@ -242,6 +242,53 @@ describe("Zotero.Item", function () {
 		})
 	});
 	
+	describe("#setCreators", function () {
+		it("should accept an array of creators in API JSON format", function* () {
+			var creators = [
+				{
+					firstName: "First",
+					lastName: "Last",
+					creatorType: "author"
+				},
+				{
+					name: "Test Name",
+					creatorType: "editor"
+				}
+			];
+			
+			var item = new Zotero.Item("journalArticle");
+			item.setCreators(creators);
+			var id = yield item.save();
+			item = yield Zotero.Items.getAsync(id);
+			yield item.loadCreators();
+			assert.sameDeepMembers(item.getCreatorsJSON(), creators);
+		})
+		
+		it("should accept an array of creators in internal format", function* () {
+			var creators = [
+				{
+					firstName: "First",
+					lastName: "Last",
+					fieldMode: 0,
+					creatorTypeID: 1
+				},
+				{
+					firstName: "",
+					lastName: "Test Name",
+					fieldMode: 1,
+					creatorTypeID: 2
+				}
+			];
+			
+			var item = new Zotero.Item("journalArticle");
+			item.setCreators(creators);
+			var id = yield item.save();
+			item = yield Zotero.Items.getAsync(id);
+			yield item.loadCreators();
+			assert.sameDeepMembers(item.getCreators(), creators);
+		})
+	})
+	
 	describe("#attachmentCharset", function () {
 		it("should get and set a value", function* () {
 			var charset = 'utf-8';