diff --git a/worldedit_commands/nodename.lua b/worldedit_commands/nodename.lua
index bb1a4b7..fad1be1 100644
--- a/worldedit_commands/nodename.lua
+++ b/worldedit_commands/nodename.lua
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@ local function string_endswith(full, part)
 	return full:sub(-#part) == part
 end
 
+local function make_description_cache()
+	local t = {}
+	for key, def in pairs(minetest.registered_nodes) do
+		local desc = def.short_description or (def.description or ""):gsub("\n.*", "", 1)
+		desc = strip_escapes(desc):lower()
+		if def.groups.not_in_creative_inventory ~= 1 and desc ~= "" then
+			t[key] = desc
+		end
+	end
+	return t
+end
+
 local description_cache = nil
 
 -- normalizes node "description" `nodename`, returning a string (or nil)
@@ -39,30 +51,32 @@ worldedit.normalize_nodename = function(nodename)
 		return nil
 	end
 
-	local fullname = ItemStack({name=nodename}):get_name() -- resolve aliases
-	if minetest.registered_nodes[fullname] or fullname == "air" then -- full name
-		return fullname
-	end
-	nodename = nodename:lower()
-
-	for key, _ in pairs(minetest.registered_nodes) do
-		if string_endswith(key:lower(), ":" .. nodename) then -- matches name (w/o mod part)
-			return key
+	if nodename:find(" ", 1, true) == nil then
+		local fullname = ItemStack({name=nodename}):get_name() -- resolve aliases
+		if minetest.registered_nodes[fullname] then -- full name
+			return fullname
 		end
 	end
 
+	local match
+	for key, _ in pairs(minetest.registered_nodes) do
+		if string_endswith(key, ":" .. nodename) then
+			if match then
+				match = nil
+				break
+			end
+			match = key -- matches name w/o mod part (only if unique)
+		end
+	end
+	if match then
+		return match
+	end
+
+	nodename = nodename:lower()
 	if description_cache == nil then
-		-- cache stripped descriptions
 		-- Note: since we don't handle translations this will work only in the original
 		-- language of the description (English)
-		description_cache = {}
-		for key, def in pairs(minetest.registered_nodes) do
-			local desc = def.short_description or (def.description or ""):gsub("\n.*", "", 1)
-			desc = strip_escapes(desc):lower()
-			if desc ~= "" then
-				description_cache[key] = desc
-			end
-		end
+		description_cache = make_description_cache()
 	end
 
 	for key, desc in pairs(description_cache) do
@@ -77,14 +91,16 @@ worldedit.normalize_nodename = function(nodename)
 		end
 	end
 
-	local match = nil
+	match = nil
 	for key, value in pairs(description_cache) do
 		if value:find(nodename, 1, true) ~= nil then
-			if match ~= nil then
-				return nil
+			if match then
+				match = nil
+				break
 			end
-			match = key -- substring description match (only if no ambiguities)
+			match = key -- substring description match (only if unique)
 		end
 	end
+
 	return match
 end