diff --git a/query/text_parser.js b/query/text_parser.js
index 4ccc8661..fd07cd0d 100644
--- a/query/text_parser.js
+++ b/query/text_parser.js
@@ -1,67 +1,68 @@
 var logger = require('pelias-logger').get('api');
+var _ = require('lodash');
 
 // all the address parsing logic
 function addParsedVariablesToQueryVariables( parsed_text, vs ){
   // ==== add parsed matches [address components] ====
 
   // query - Mexitaly, Sunoco, Lowes
-  if (parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('query')) {
+  if ( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.query) ) {
     vs.var('input:query', parsed_text.query);
   }
 
   // categories - restaurants, hotels, bars
-  if (parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('category')) {
+  if ( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.category) ) {
     vs.var('input:category', parsed_text.category);
   }
 
-  if (parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('address')) {
+  if ( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.address) ) {
     vs.var( 'input:address', parsed_text.address );
   }
 
   // house number
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('number') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.number) ){
     vs.var( 'input:housenumber', parsed_text.number );
   }
 
   // street name
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('street') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.street) ){
     vs.var( 'input:street', parsed_text.street );
   }
 
   // neighbourhood
-  if (parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('neighbourhood')) {
+  if ( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.neighbourhood) ) {
     vs.var( 'input:neighbourhood', parsed_text.neighbourhood);
   }
 
   // borough
-  if (parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('borough')) {
+  if ( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.borough) ) {
     vs.var( 'input:borough', parsed_text.borough);
   }
 
   // postal code
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('postalcode') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.postalcode) ){
     vs.var( 'input:postcode', parsed_text.postalcode );
   }
 
   // ==== add parsed matches [admin components] ====
 
   // city
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('city') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.city) ){
     vs.var( 'input:locality', parsed_text.city );
   }
 
   // county
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('county') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.county) ){
     vs.var( 'input:county', parsed_text.county );
   }
 
   // state
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('state') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.state) ){
     vs.var( 'input:region', parsed_text.state );
   }
 
   // country
-  if( parsed_text.hasOwnProperty('country') ){
+  if( ! _.isEmpty(parsed_text.country) ){
     vs.var( 'input:country', parsed_text.country );
   }
 
diff --git a/sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer.js b/sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3bcf817d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+const _ = require('lodash');
+
+// matches 'ft', 'mt', 'saint', and 'sainte' on word boundary
+const mountSaintFort = /\b([fm]t|sainte?)\b/g;
+
+const transliterations = {
+  'mt':     'mount',
+  'ft':     'fort',
+  'saint':  'st',
+  'sainte': 'ste'
+};
+
+function transliterate(match) {
+  return _.get(transliterations, match);
+}
+
+// transliterate ft/mt/saint/sainte to fort/mount/st/ste, respectively
+function sanitize(raw, clean) {
+  // error & warning messages
+  // this function doesn't add any error or warning messages
+  const messages = { errors: [], warnings: [] };
+
+  // only try to transliterate if there is a city in parsed_text
+  if (!_.isEmpty(_.get(clean, 'parsed_text.city'))) {
+    // eg input: Ft. Saint Louis
+    // after 1.  ft  saint louis
+    // after 2.  fort  st louis
+    // after 3.  fort st louis
+
+    // 1.  remove '.' that could abbreviate ft and mt (makes transliteration regex easier)
+    const periods_removed = _.toLower(clean.parsed_text.city).replace(/\b(mt|ft)\./g, '$1 ');
+
+    // 2.  transliterate 'saint'->'st', etc
+    const transliterated = periods_removed.replace(mountSaintFort, transliterate);
+
+    // 3.  reduce whitespace sequences that can occur when removing periods down to a single space
+    const whitespace_normalized = _.trimEnd(transliterated.replace(/\s+/, ' '));
+
+    clean.parsed_text.city = whitespace_normalized;
+
+  }
+
+  return messages;
+
+}
+
+module.exports = sanitize;
diff --git a/sanitizer/search.js b/sanitizer/search.js
index d99a926e..5694c9eb 100644
--- a/sanitizer/search.js
+++ b/sanitizer/search.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var sanitizeAll = require('../sanitizer/sanitizeAll'),
       quattroshapes_deprecation: require('../sanitizer/_deprecate_quattroshapes'),
       text: require('../sanitizer/_text'),
       iso2_to_iso3: require('../sanitizer/_iso2_to_iso3'),
+      city_name_standardizer: require('../sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer'),
       size: require('../sanitizer/_size')(/* use defaults*/),
       layers: require('../sanitizer/_targets')('layers', type_mapping.layer_mapping),
       sources: require('../sanitizer/_targets')('sources', type_mapping.source_mapping),
diff --git a/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js b/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js
index ebd55a56..29edce41 100644
--- a/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js
+++ b/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var sanitizeAll = require('../sanitizer/sanitizeAll'),
       quattroshapes_deprecation: require('../sanitizer/_deprecate_quattroshapes'),
       synthesize_analysis: require('../sanitizer/_synthesize_analysis'),
       iso2_to_iso3: require('../sanitizer/_iso2_to_iso3'),
+      city_name_standardizer: require('../sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer'),
       size: require('../sanitizer/_size')(/* use defaults*/),
       layers: require('../sanitizer/_targets')('layers', type_mapping.layer_mapping),
       sources: require('../sanitizer/_targets')('sources', type_mapping.source_mapping),
diff --git a/test/unit/query/text_parser.js b/test/unit/query/text_parser.js
index 839ddfbd..86d443fc 100644
--- a/test/unit/query/text_parser.js
+++ b/test/unit/query/text_parser.js
@@ -157,6 +157,48 @@ module.exports.tests.housenumber_special_cases = function(test, common) {
 
 };
 
+module.exports.tests.empty_values = function(test, common) {
+  test('empty string values not set', function (t) {
+    var parsed_text = {
+      query: '',
+      category: '',
+      number: '',
+      street: '',
+      address: '',
+      neighbourhood: '',
+      borough: '',
+      postalcode: '',
+      city: '',
+      county: '',
+      state: '',
+      country: ''
+    };
+    var vs = new VariableStore();
+
+    function testIt() {
+      text_parser(parsed_text, vs);
+    }
+
+    t.doesNotThrow(testIt, 'exception should not be thrown');
+
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:query'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:category'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:housenumber'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:street'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:address'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:neighbourhood'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:borough'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:postcode'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:locality'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:county'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:region'));
+    t.false(vs.isset('input:country'));
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+};
+
 module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
   function test(name, testFunction) {
     return tape('text_parser ' + name, testFunction);
diff --git a/test/unit/run.js b/test/unit/run.js
index a3109585..d21890e7 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.js
+++ b/test/unit/run.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ var tests = [
   require('./sanitizer/_ids'),
   require('./sanitizer/_iso2_to_iso3'),
   require('./sanitizer/_layers'),
+  require('./sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer'),
   require('./sanitizer/_single_scalar_parameters'),
   require('./sanitizer/_size'),
   require('./sanitizer/_sources'),
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da362868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,285 @@
+const _ = require('lodash');
+const sanitizer = require('../../../sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer');
+
+module.exports.tests = {};
+
+module.exports.tests.text_parser = function(test, common) {
+  test('clean without parsed_text should not throw exception', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('undefined parsed_text.city should be unchanged', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        address: 'address value',
+        city: undefined
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        address: 'address value',
+        city: undefined
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('\'saint\' should be abbreviated to \'st\' wherever it appears in the city', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'saint query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'saint neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'saint borough value',
+        city: 'SainT city sAiNt value saInt',
+        county: 'saint county value',
+        state: 'saint state value',
+        postalcode: 'saint postalcode value',
+        country: 'saint country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'saint query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'saint neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'saint borough value',
+        city: 'st city st value st',
+        county: 'saint county value',
+        state: 'saint state value',
+        postalcode: 'saint postalcode value',
+        country: 'saint country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('\'sainte\' should be abbreviated to \'ste\' wherever it appears in the city', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'sainte query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'sainte neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'sainte borough value',
+        city: 'SaintE city sAinTe value saINte',
+        county: 'sainte county value',
+        state: 'sainte state value',
+        postalcode: 'sainte postalcode value',
+        country: 'sainte country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'sainte query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'sainte neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'sainte borough value',
+        city: 'ste city ste value ste',
+        county: 'sainte county value',
+        state: 'sainte state value',
+        postalcode: 'sainte postalcode value',
+        country: 'sainte country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('\'ft\' should be expanded to \'fort\' wherever it appears in the city', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'ft query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'ft neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'ft borough value',
+        city: 'Ft city ft value fT',
+        county: 'ft county value',
+        state: 'ft state value',
+        postalcode: 'ft postalcode value',
+        country: 'ft country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'ft query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'ft neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'ft borough value',
+        city: 'fort city fort value fort',
+        county: 'ft county value',
+        state: 'ft state value',
+        postalcode: 'ft postalcode value',
+        country: 'ft country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('\'mt\' should be expanded to \'mount\' wherever it appears in the city', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'mt query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'mt neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'mt borough value',
+        city: 'Mt city mt value mT',
+        county: 'mt county value',
+        state: 'mt state value',
+        postalcode: 'mt postalcode value',
+        country: 'mt country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        query: 'mt query value',
+        neighbourhood: 'mt neighbourhood value',
+        borough: 'mt borough value',
+        city: 'mount city mount value mount',
+        county: 'mt county value',
+        state: 'mt state value',
+        postalcode: 'mt postalcode value',
+        country: 'mt country value'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('mixture of \'mt\', \'ft\', \'saint\', and \'sainte\' should be expanded/abbreviated', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        city: 'mt. ft saint sainte mt ft.'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        city: 'mount fort st ste mount fort'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('period word boundary on \'mt.\' should replace with a space', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        city: 'mt.city'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        city: 'mount city'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+  test('period word boundary on \'ft.\' should replace with a space', function(t) {
+    const raw = {};
+
+    const clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        city: 'ft.city'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const expected_clean = {
+      parsed_text: {
+        city: 'fort city'
+      }
+    };
+
+    const messages = sanitizer(raw, clean);
+
+    t.deepEquals(clean, expected_clean);
+    t.deepEquals(messages.errors, [], 'no errors');
+    t.deepEquals(messages.warnings, [], 'no warnings');
+    t.end();
+
+  });
+
+};
+
+module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
+  function test(name, testFunction) {
+    return tape('sanitizer _city_name_standardizer: ' + name, testFunction);
+  }
+
+  for( const testCase in module.exports.tests ){
+    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
+  }
+};
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/search.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/search.js
index e2c01f8d..0d44103d 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitizer/search.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/search.js
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize = function(test, common) {
         called_sanitizers.push('_iso2_to_iso3');
         return { errors: [], warnings: [] };
       },
+      '../sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer': function() {
+        called_sanitizers.push('_city_name_standardizer');
+        return { errors: [], warnings: [] };
+      },
       '../sanitizer/_size': function() {
         if (arguments.length === 0) {
           return function() {
@@ -86,6 +90,7 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize = function(test, common) {
       '_deprecate_quattroshapes',
       '_text',
       '_iso2_to_iso3',
+      '_city_name_standardizer',
       '_size',
       '_targets/layers',
       '_targets/sources',
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js b/test/unit/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js
index ef9711b3..133be462 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitizer/structured_geocoding.js
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize = function(test, common) {
         called_sanitizers.push('_iso2_to_iso3');
         return { errors: [], warnings: [] };
       },
+      '../sanitizer/_city_name_standardizer': function() {
+        called_sanitizers.push('_city_name_standardizer');
+        return { errors: [], warnings: [] };
+      },
       '../sanitizer/_size': function() {
         if (arguments.length === 0) {
           return function() {
@@ -86,6 +90,7 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize = function(test, common) {
       '_deprecate_quattroshapes',
       '_synthesize_analysis',
       '_iso2_to_iso3',
+      '_city_name_standardizer',
       '_size',
       '_targets/layers',
       '_targets/sources',