diff --git a/modules/validations/generic_name.js b/modules/validations/generic_name.js
index 9ab314901..10dfc15e6 100644
--- a/modules/validations/generic_name.js
+++ b/modules/validations/generic_name.js
@@ -9,26 +9,38 @@ import { discardNames } from '../../node_modules/name-suggestion-index/config/fi
 export function validationGenericName() {
     var type = 'generic_name';
 
+    // known list of generic names (e.g. "bar")
+    var discardNamesRegexes = discardNames.map(function(discardName) {
+        return new RegExp(discardName, 'i');
+    });
+
+    var keysToTestForGenericValues = ['amenity', 'building', 'leisure', 'man_made', 'shop', 'tourism'];
 
     function isGenericName(entity) {
         var name = entity.tags.name;
         if (!name) return false;
+        name = name.toLowerCase();
 
-        var i, re;
+        var i, key, val;
 
-        // test if the name is just the tag value (e.g. "park")
-        var keys = ['amenity', 'leisure', 'shop', 'man_made', 'tourism'];
-        for (i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
-            var val = entity.tags[keys[i]];
-            if (val && val.replace(/\_/g, ' ').toLowerCase() === name.toLowerCase()) {
-                return name;
+        // test if the name is just the key or tag value (e.g. "park")
+        for (i = 0; i < keysToTestForGenericValues.length; i++) {
+            key = keysToTestForGenericValues[i];
+            val = entity.tags[key];
+            if (val) {
+                val = val.toLowerCase();
+                if (key === name ||
+                    val === name ||
+                    key.replace(/\_/g, ' ') === name ||
+                    val.replace(/\_/g, ' ') === name) {
+                    return name;
+                }
             }
         }
 
-        // test if the name is a generic name (e.g. "pizzaria")
-        for (i = 0; i < discardNames.length; i++) {
-            re = new RegExp(discardNames[i], 'i');
-            if (re.test(name)) {
+        // test if the name is otherwise generic
+        for (i = 0; i < discardNamesRegexes.length; i++) {
+            if (discardNamesRegexes[i].test(name)) {
                 return name;
             }
         }