diff --git a/import/index_scripts/author.bsh b/import/index_scripts/author.bsh
index c0cc4f1d1d9fe75cc768fdc43bd273349f236dd8..bfe5f7cd12c4b985ea20b65ee67ed78dbe5f4f65 100644
--- a/import/index_scripts/author.bsh
+++ b/import/index_scripts/author.bsh
@@ -375,9 +375,9 @@ public String processInitials(String authorName) {
         if (name.length() > 0) {
             String initial = name.substring(0,1);
             // if there is a hyphenated name, use both initials
-            if (name.indexOf('-') > 0) {
-                int pos = name.indexOf('-');
-                String extra = name.substring(pos+1,pos+2);
+            int pos = name.indexOf('-');
+            if (pos > 0 && pos < name.length() - 1) {
+                String extra = name.substring(pos+1, pos+2);
                 initial = initial + " " + extra;
             }
             result += " " + initial;