diff --git a/modules/prelude-programming.el b/modules/prelude-programming.el
index 7b64c69..0fade14 100644
--- a/modules/prelude-programming.el
+++ b/modules/prelude-programming.el
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@
                 (get-text-property 1 'org-imenu-marker symbol))))
         (unless (or (null position) (null name)
                     (string= (car imenu--rescan-item) name))
-          (add-to-list 'symbol-names name)
-          (add-to-list 'name-and-pos (cons name position))))))))
+          (add-to-list 'symbol-names (substring-no-properties name))
+          (add-to-list 'name-and-pos (cons (substring-no-properties name) position))))))))
 
 ;; add a shortcut for prelude-ido-goto-symbol
 (eval-after-load 'prelude-mode