diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/RetroShareLink.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/RetroShareLink.cpp
index 49949f862..238ec48e4 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/RetroShareLink.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/RetroShareLink.cpp
@@ -856,6 +856,7 @@ static void processList(const QStringList &list, const QString &textSingular, co
 /*static*/ int RetroShareLink::process(const QList<RetroShareLink> &linksIn, uint flag /* = RSLINK_PROCESS_NOTIFY_ALL*/)
 {
 	QList<RetroShareLink>::const_iterator linkIt;
+	flag &= ~RSLINK_PROCESS_NOTIFY_BAD_CHARS ;	// this will be set below when needed
 
 	/* filter dublicate links */
 	QList<RetroShareLink> links;
@@ -1062,7 +1063,6 @@ static void processList(const QStringList &list, const QString &textSingular, co
 
 					QString cleanname = link.name() ;
 					static const QString bad_chars_str = "/\\\"*:?<>|" ;
-					flag &= ~RSLINK_PROCESS_NOTIFY_BAD_CHARS ;
 
 					for(uint32_t i=0;i<cleanname.length();++i)
 						for(uint32_t j=0;j<bad_chars_str.length();++j)