diff --git a/CommonData/column.cpp b/CommonData/column.cpp
index 3395c7b7e9..2161284d5a 100644
--- a/CommonData/column.cpp
+++ b/CommonData/column.cpp
@@ -116,12 +116,12 @@ void Column::invalidateDependents()
 			col->invalidate();
 }
 
-void Column::setName(const std::string &name)
+bool Column::setName(const std::string &name)
 {
 	JASPTIMER_SCOPE(Column::setName);
 
-	if(_name == name)
-		return;
+	if(_name == name || name.empty())
+		return false;
 
 	std::string orgName = _name;
 	_name = getUniqueName(name);
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ void Column::setName(const std::string &name)
 
 	db().columnSetName(_id, _name);
 	incRevision();
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 void Column::setTitle(const std::string &title)
diff --git a/CommonData/column.h b/CommonData/column.h
index 8ff95507ce..3b4edba025 100644
--- a/CommonData/column.h
+++ b/CommonData/column.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Column : public DataSetBaseNode
 			void					dbDelete(bool cleanUpRest = true);
 																														
 			
-			void					setName(			const std::string & name			);
+			bool					setName(			const std::string & name			);
 			void					setTitle(			const std::string & title			);
 			bool					setRCode(			const std::string & rCode			);
 			bool					setError(			const std::string & error			);
diff --git a/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.cpp b/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.cpp
index dba40e101d..d8103f39cd 100644
--- a/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.cpp
+++ b/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.cpp
@@ -1623,7 +1623,7 @@ stringvec DataSetPackage::getColumnDataStrs(size_t columnIndex)
 	return out;
 }
 
-void DataSetPackage::setColumnName(size_t columnIndex, const std::string & newName, bool resetModel)
+void DataSetPackage::setColumnName(size_t columnIndex, const std::string & newName)
 {
 	if(!_dataSet)
 		return;
@@ -1634,16 +1634,12 @@ void DataSetPackage::setColumnName(size_t columnIndex, const std::string & newNa
 
 	std::string oldName = getColumnName(columnIndex);
 
-	if(resetModel)
-		beginResetModel();
-
-	column->setName(newName);
-
-	if(resetModel)
-		endResetModel();
-
-	setManualEdits(true);
-	emit datasetChanged({}, {}, QMap<QString, QString>({{tq(oldName), tq(newName)}}), false, false);
+	if(column->setName(newName))
+	{
+		setManualEdits(true);
+		emit datasetChanged({}, {}, QMap<QString, QString>({{tq(oldName), tq(newName)}}), false, false);
+	}
+	refresh(); //We do refresh in any case because then the emptied name of the column in variableswindow will get filled again
 }
 
 void DataSetPackage::setColumnTitle(size_t columnIndex, const std::string & newTitle)
diff --git a/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.h b/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.h
index 29c996dd89..4286219c3a 100644
--- a/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.h
+++ b/Desktop/data/datasetpackage.h
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class DataSetPackage : public QAbstractItemModel //Not QAbstractTableModel becau
 				enum columnType				getColumnType(						const QString	  &	name)			const;
 				std::string					getColumnName(						size_t				columnIndex)	const;
 				stringvec					getColumnDataStrs(					size_t				columnIndex);
-				void						setColumnName(						size_t				columnIndex, const std::string	& newName,			bool resetModel = true);
+				void						setColumnName(						size_t				columnIndex, const std::string	& newName);
 				void						setColumnTitle(						size_t				columnIndex, const std::string	& newTitle);
 				void						setColumnDescription(				size_t				columnIndex, const std::string	& newDescription);
 				void						setColumnComputedType(				size_t				columnIndex, computedColumnType	type);