diff --git a/pandora/annotation/views.py b/pandora/annotation/views.py
index 018967775..6244411e2 100644
--- a/pandora/annotation/views.py
+++ b/pandora/annotation/views.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from __future__ import division
 
 from django.conf import settings
 
+import ox
 from ox.utils import json
 from ox.django.decorators import login_required_json
 from ox.django.shortcuts import render_to_json_response, get_object_or_404_json, json_response, HttpErrorJson
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ def addAnnotation(request, data):
     if layer['canAddAnnotations'].get(request.user.get_profile().get_level()):
         if layer['type'] == 'entity':
             try:
-                value = Entity.get_by_name(data['value'], layer['entity']).get_id()
+                value = Entity.get_by_name(ox.decode_html(data['value']), layer['entity']).get_id()
             except Entity.DoesNotExist:
                 response = json_response({})
                 response['status']['text'] = 'unkown entity'
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ def editAnnotation(request, data):
             if key in data:
                 if key == 'value' and layer['type'] == 'entity':
                     try:
-                        value = Entity.get_by_name(data['value'], layer['entity']).get_id()
+                        value = Entity.get_by_name(ox.decode_html(data['value']), layer['entity']).get_id()
                     except Entity.DoesNotExist:
                         response = json_response({})
                         response['status']['text'] = 'unkown entity'