diff --git a/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/co-authors-plus.php b/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/co-authors-plus.php
index e08ecca..ed9b88f 100644
--- a/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/co-authors-plus.php
+++ b/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/co-authors-plus.php
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ require_once( dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/php/class-coauthors-template-filters.php'
 if ( defined('WP_CLI') && WP_CLI )
    require_once( dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/php/class-wp-cli.php' );

+function sanitize_slug($s)
+{
+    return strtolower(urlencode(sanitize_text_field($s)));
+}
+
 class coauthors_plus {

    // Name for the taxonomy we're using to store relationships
@@ -690,7 +695,7 @@ class coauthors_plus {

        // This action happens when a post is saved while editing a post
        if( isset( $_REQUEST['coauthors-nonce'] ) && isset( $_POST['coauthors'] ) && is_array( $_POST['coauthors'] ) ) {
-           $author = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['coauthors'][0] );
+           $author = sanitize_slug( $_POST['coauthors'][0] );
            if ( $author ) {
                $author_data = $this->get_coauthor_by( 'user_nicename', $author );
                // If it's a guest author and has a linked account, store that information in post_author
@@ -733,7 +738,7 @@ class coauthors_plus {
                check_admin_referer( 'coauthors-edit', 'coauthors-nonce' );

                $coauthors = (array) $_POST['coauthors'];
-               $coauthors = array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $coauthors );
+               $coauthors = array_map( 'sanitize_slug', $coauthors );
                $this->add_coauthors( $post_id, $coauthors );
            }
        } else {
@@ -974,7 +979,7 @@ class coauthors_plus {
            die();

        $search = sanitize_text_field( strtolower( $_REQUEST['q'] ) );
-       $ignore = array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', explode( ',', $_REQUEST['existing_authors'] ) );
+       $ignore = array_map( 'sanitize_slug', explode( ',', $_REQUEST['existing_authors'] ) );

        $authors = $this->search_authors( $search, $ignore );

diff --git a/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/js/co-authors-plus.js b/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/js/co-authors-plus.js
index 2b2034c..3dbeeb1 100644
--- a/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/js/co-authors-plus.js
+++ b/wp-content/plugins/co-authors-plus/js/co-authors-plus.js
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ jQuery(document).ready(function () {
                            'type': 'hidden',
                            'id': 'coauthors_hidden_input',
                            'name': 'coauthors[]',
-                           'value': unescape(author.nicename)
+                           'value': decodeURIComponent(author.nicename)
                            })
                        ;

@@ -530,4 +530,4 @@ jQuery(document).ready(function () {
 if( typeof(console) === 'undefined' ) {
    var console = {}
    console.log = console.error = function() {};
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}