diff --git a/src/becca/entities/battribute.ts b/src/becca/entities/battribute.ts
index cc757d142..c3d0115fc 100644
--- a/src/becca/entities/battribute.ts
+++ b/src/becca/entities/battribute.ts
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class BAttribute extends AbstractBeccaEntity<BAttribute> {
             this.validate();
         }
 
-        this.name = sanitizeAttributeName(this.name);
+        this.name = sanitizeAttributeName.sanitizeAttributeName(this.name);
 
         if (!this.value) {
             // null value isn't allowed
diff --git a/src/services/sanitize_attribute_name.ts b/src/services/sanitize_attribute_name.ts
index ecdc35dc0..62b2b03b3 100644
--- a/src/services/sanitize_attribute_name.ts
+++ b/src/services/sanitize_attribute_name.ts
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ function sanitizeAttributeName(origName: string) {
 }
 
 
-export = sanitizeAttributeName;
+export = {
+    sanitizeAttributeName
+};