diff --git a/panda/src/egg/eggVertex.cxx b/panda/src/egg/eggVertex.cxx
index 83ed50f962..976093231c 100644
--- a/panda/src/egg/eggVertex.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/egg/eggVertex.cxx
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ EggVertex::
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool EggVertex::
 has_uv(const string &name) const {
-  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(name);
+  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
   if (ui != _uv_map.end()) {
     EggVertexUV *uv_obj = (*ui).second;
     return !uv_obj->has_w();
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ has_uv(const string &name) const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool EggVertex::
 has_uvw(const string &name) const {
-  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(name);
+  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
   if (ui != _uv_map.end()) {
     EggVertexUV *uv_obj = (*ui).second;
     return uv_obj->has_w();
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ has_uvw(const string &name) const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 TexCoordd EggVertex::
 get_uv(const string &name) const {
-  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(name);
+  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
   nassertr(ui != _uv_map.end(), TexCoordd::zero());
   return (*ui).second->get_uv();
 }
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ get_uv(const string &name) const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 const TexCoord3d &EggVertex::
 get_uvw(const string &name) const {
-  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(name);
+  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
   nassertr(ui != _uv_map.end(), TexCoord3d::zero());
   return (*ui).second->get_uvw();
 }
@@ -184,16 +184,17 @@ get_uvw(const string &name) const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void EggVertex::
 set_uv(const string &name, const TexCoordd &uv) {
-  PT(EggVertexUV) &uv_obj = _uv_map[name];
+  string fname = EggVertexUV::filter_name(name);
+  PT(EggVertexUV) &uv_obj = _uv_map[fname];
 
   if (uv_obj.is_null()) {
-    uv_obj = new EggVertexUV(name, uv);
+    uv_obj = new EggVertexUV(fname, uv);
   } else {
     uv_obj = new EggVertexUV(*uv_obj);
     uv_obj->set_uv(uv);
   }
 
-  nassertv(get_uv(name) == uv);
+  nassertv(get_uv(fname) == uv);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -206,16 +207,17 @@ set_uv(const string &name, const TexCoordd &uv) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void EggVertex::
 set_uvw(const string &name, const TexCoord3d &uvw) {
-  PT(EggVertexUV) &uv_obj = _uv_map[name];
+  string fname = EggVertexUV::filter_name(name);
+  PT(EggVertexUV) &uv_obj = _uv_map[fname];
 
   if (uv_obj.is_null()) {
-    uv_obj = new EggVertexUV(name, uvw);
+    uv_obj = new EggVertexUV(fname, uvw);
   } else {
     uv_obj = new EggVertexUV(*uv_obj);
     uv_obj->set_uvw(uvw);
   }
 
-  nassertv(get_uvw(name) == uvw);
+  nassertv(get_uvw(fname) == uvw);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -230,7 +232,7 @@ set_uvw(const string &name, const TexCoord3d &uvw) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 const EggVertexUV *EggVertex::
 get_uv_obj(const string &name) const {
-  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(name);
+  UVMap::const_iterator ui = _uv_map.find(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
   if (ui != _uv_map.end()) {
     return (*ui).second;
   }
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ get_uv_obj(const string &name) const {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 EggVertexUV *EggVertex::
 modify_uv_obj(const string &name) {
-  UVMap::iterator ui = _uv_map.find(name);
+  UVMap::iterator ui = _uv_map.find(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
   if (ui != _uv_map.end()) {
     if ((*ui).second->get_ref_count() != 1) {
       // Copy on write.
@@ -279,7 +281,7 @@ set_uv_obj(EggVertexUV *uv) {
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void EggVertex::
 clear_uv(const string &name) {
-  _uv_map.erase(name);
+  _uv_map.erase(EggVertexUV::filter_name(name));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.I b/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.I
index 150b587fd0..1d97fb4b8c 100755
--- a/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.I
+++ b/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.I
@@ -17,18 +17,31 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: EggVertexUV::filter_name
+//       Access: Published, Static
+//  Description: Returns the actual name that should be set for a
+//               given name string.  Usually this is the same string
+//               that is input, but for historical reasons the texture
+//               coordinate name "default" is mapped to the empty
+//               string.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE string EggVertexUV::
+filter_name(const string &name) {
+  if (name == "default") {
+    return string();
+  }
+  return name;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: EggVertexUV::set_name
-//       Access: Public
+//       Access: Published
 //  Description:
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 INLINE void EggVertexUV::
 set_name(const string &name) {
-  if (name == "default") {
-    clear_name();
-  } else {
-    Namable::set_name(name);
-  }
+  Namable::set_name(filter_name(name));
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.h b/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.h
index 851a83ec7b..43a84298c6 100755
--- a/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.h
+++ b/panda/src/egg/eggVertexUV.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   EggVertexUV &operator = (const EggVertexUV &copy);
   virtual ~EggVertexUV();
 
+  INLINE static string filter_name(const string &name);
   INLINE void set_name(const string &name);
 
   INLINE int get_num_dimensions() const;