diff --git a/pkg/api/util/names.go b/pkg/api/util/names.go
index 2f3e2a0e7..228c24c8d 100644
--- a/pkg/api/util/names.go
+++ b/pkg/api/util/names.go
@@ -38,14 +38,19 @@ func ComputeCertificateRequestName(crt *cmapi.Certificate) (string, error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	crtName := crt.Name
-	if len(crtName) >= 52 {
-		// shorten the cert name to 52 chars to ensure the total length of the name
-		// also shorten the 52 char string to the last non-symbol character
-		// is less than or equal to 64 characters
-		validCharIndexes := regexp.MustCompile(`[a-zA-Z\d]`).FindAllStringIndex(fmt.Sprintf("%.52s", crtName), -1)
-		crtName = crtName[:validCharIndexes[len(validCharIndexes)-1][1]]
-	}
+	crtName := DNSSafeSchortenTo52Characters(crt.Name)
 
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d", crtName, hashF.Sum32()), nil
 }
+
+func DNSSafeSchortenTo52Characters(in string) string {
+	if len(in) >= 52 {
+		// shorten the cert name to 52 chars to ensure the total length of the name
+		// also shorten the 52 char string to the last non-symbol character
+		// is less than or equal to 64 characters
+		validCharIndexes := regexp.MustCompile(`[a-zA-Z\d]`).FindAllStringIndex(fmt.Sprintf("%.52s", in), -1)
+		in = in[:validCharIndexes[len(validCharIndexes)-1][1]]
+	}
+
+	return in
+}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/acmeorders/util.go b/pkg/controller/acmeorders/util.go
index 2ec6443f0..d9c4bc3b4 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/acmeorders/util.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/acmeorders/util.go
@@ -21,13 +21,12 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash/fnv"
-	"regexp"
-
-	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/acme"
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
+	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/acme"
 	acmecl "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/acme/client"
+	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/api/util"
 	cmacme "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/apis/acme/v1"
 	cmapi "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1"
 	"github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/controller/acmeorders/selectors"
@@ -88,14 +87,7 @@ func buildChallengeName(orderName string, chSpec cmacme.ChallengeSpec) (string,
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	if len(orderName) >= 52 {
-		// shorten the cert name to 52 chars to ensure the total length of the name
-		// also shorten the 52 char string to the last non-symbol character
-		// is less than or equal to 64 characters
-		validCharIndexes := regexp.MustCompile(`[a-zA-Z\d]`).FindAllStringIndex(fmt.Sprintf("%.52s", orderName), -1)
-		orderName = orderName[:validCharIndexes[len(validCharIndexes)-1][1]]
-	}
-
+	orderName = util.DNSSafeSchortenTo52Characters(orderName)
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d", orderName, hash), nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificaterequests/acme/acme.go b/pkg/controller/certificaterequests/acme/acme.go
index 67c6f0e57..1ee6e6d95 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificaterequests/acme/acme.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificaterequests/acme/acme.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash/fnv"
-	"regexp"
 
 	k8sErrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -246,14 +245,6 @@ func computeACMEOrderName(cr *v1.CertificateRequest, orderSpec cmacme.OrderSpec)
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	crName := cr.Name
-	if len(crName) >= 52 {
-		// shorten the cert name to 52 chars to ensure the total length of the name
-		// also shorten the 52 char string to the last non-symbol character
-		// is less than or equal to 64 characters
-		validCharIndexes := regexp.MustCompile(`[a-zA-Z\d]`).FindAllStringIndex(fmt.Sprintf("%.52s", crName), -1)
-		crName = crName[:validCharIndexes[len(validCharIndexes)-1][1]]
-	}
-
+	crName := apiutil.DNSSafeSchortenTo52Characters(cr.Name)
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d", crName, hashF.Sum32()), nil
 }