diff --git a/helper/labelGenerator.js b/helper/labelGenerator.js
index 97993e033..341121576 100644
--- a/helper/labelGenerator.js
+++ b/helper/labelGenerator.js
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ function getSchema(country_a) {
 
 }
 
-// helper function that sets a default label for non-US/CA regions
-// this is a very special case
+// helper function that sets a default label for non-US/CA regions and countries
 function getInitialLabel(record) {
   if (isRegion(record.layer) &&
       isGeonamesOrWhosOnFirst(record.source) &&
@@ -56,10 +55,20 @@ function getInitialLabel(record) {
     return [];
   }
 
+  if (isCountry(record.layer)) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
   return [record.name];
 
 }
 
+// this can go away once geonames is no longer supported
+// https://github.com/pelias/wof-admin-lookup/issues/49
+function isCountry(layer) {
+  return 'country' === layer;
+}
+
 function isRegion(layer) {
   return 'region' === layer;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/helper/labelGenerator_default.js b/test/unit/helper/labelGenerator_default.js
index 25991ab85..4679f1369 100644
--- a/test/unit/helper/labelGenerator_default.js
+++ b/test/unit/helper/labelGenerator_default.js
@@ -175,14 +175,14 @@ module.exports.tests.default_country = function(test, common) {
     t.end();
   });
 
-  test('country', function(t) {
+  test('country layer labels should only use the `country` field and not the `name`', function(t) {
     var doc = {
-      'name': 'country name',
+      'name': 'source country name',
       'layer': 'country',
       'country_a': 'country code',
-      'country': 'country name'
+      'country': 'hierarchy country name'
     };
-    t.equal(generator(doc),'country name');
+    t.equal(generator(doc),'hierarchy country name');
     t.end();
   });