diff --git a/wp-admin/admin-db.php b/wp-admin/admin-db.php
index bf8692ab3a..6333797bc0 100644
--- a/wp-admin/admin-db.php
+++ b/wp-admin/admin-db.php
@@ -92,8 +92,10 @@ function wp_insert_category($catarr) {
 	else
 		$update = false;
 
-	$cat_name = wp_specialchars($cat_name);
-
+	$cat_name = apply_filters('pre_category_name', $cat_name);
+	$category_nicename = apply_filters('pre_category_nicename', $category_nicename);
+	$category_description = apply_filters('pre_category_description', $category_description);
+	
 	if (empty ($category_nicename))
 		$category_nicename = sanitize_title($cat_name);
 	else
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ function wp_insert_category($catarr) {
 	if (empty ($category_description))
 		$category_description = '';
 
+	$category_parent = (int) $category_parent;
 	if (empty ($category_parent))
 		$category_parent = 0;
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/default-filters.php b/wp-includes/default-filters.php
index 03a14ff432..4795b532ec 100644
--- a/wp-includes/default-filters.php
+++ b/wp-includes/default-filters.php
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ add_filter('comment_text', 'convert_smilies', 20);
 
 add_filter('comment_excerpt', 'convert_chars');
 
+// Categories
+add_filter('pre_category_name', 'strip_tags');
+add_filter('pre_category_name', 'trim');
+add_filter('pre_category_name', 'wp_filter_kses');
+add_filter('pre_category_name', 'wp_specialchars', 30);
+add_filter('pre_category_description', 'wp_filter_kses');
+
 // Places to balance tags on input
 add_filter('content_save_pre', 'balanceTags', 50);
 add_filter('excerpt_save_pre', 'balanceTags', 50);