diff --git a/modules/gui.lua b/modules/gui.lua
index 9d734bd9..c5c4a82c 100644
--- a/modules/gui.lua
+++ b/modules/gui.lua
@@ -1463,6 +1463,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("gui", "vanilla:tbc", function ()
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Highlight Settings That Require Reload"], C.gui, "reloadmarker", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Show Incompatible Config Entries"], C.gui, "showdisabled", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Abbreviate Numbers (4200 -> 4.2k)"], C.unitframes, "abbrevnum", "checkbox")
+      CreateConfig(nil, T["Abbreviate Unit Names"], C.unitframes, "abbrevname", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Health Point Estimation"], nil, nil, "header")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Estimate Enemy Health Points"], C.global, "libhealth", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Threshold To Trust Health Estimation"], C.global, "libhealth_hit", "dropdown", pfUI.gui.dropdowns.uf_rangecheckinterval)
@@ -1591,7 +1592,6 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("gui", "vanilla:tbc", function ()
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Show Resting"], C.unitframes.player, "showRest", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Enable Energy Ticks"], C.unitframes.player, "energy", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Enable Mana Ticks"], C.unitframes.player, "manatick", "checkbox")
-      CreateConfig(nil, T["Abbreviate Unit Names"], C.unitframes, "abbrevname", "checkbox")
       CreateConfig(nil, T["Detect Enemy Buffs"], C.unitframes, "buffdetect", "checkbox", nil, nil, nil, nil, "vanilla" )
 
       CreateConfig(U[c], T["Font Options"], nil, nil, "header")
diff --git a/modules/nameplates.lua b/modules/nameplates.lua
index ef61ae79..0858d7e9 100644
--- a/modules/nameplates.lua
+++ b/modules/nameplates.lua
@@ -94,6 +94,28 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("nameplates", "vanilla:tbc", function ()
     return nil
   end
 
+  local function abbrevname(t)
+    return string.sub(t,1,1)..". "
+  end
+
+  local function GetNameString(name)
+    local abbrev = pfUI_config.unitframes.abbrevname == "1" or nil
+    local size = 20
+
+    -- first try to only abbreviate the first word
+    if abbrev and name and strlen(name) > size then
+      name = string.gsub(name, "^(%S+) ", abbrevname)
+    end
+
+    -- abbreviate all if it still doesn't fit
+    if abbrev and name and strlen(name) > size then
+      name = string.gsub(name, "(%S+) ", abbrevname)
+    end
+
+    return name
+  end
+
+
   local function GetUnitType(red, green, blue)
     if red > .9 and green < .2 and blue < .2 then
       return "ENEMY_NPC"
@@ -613,7 +635,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("nameplates", "vanilla:tbc", function ()
       plate.totem:Hide()
     end
 
-    plate.name:SetText(name)
+    plate.name:SetText(GetNameString(name))
     plate.level:SetText(string.format("%s%s", level, (elitestrings[elite] or "")))
 
     if guild and C.nameplates.showguildname == "1" then