diff --git a/includes/class-functions.php b/includes/class-functions.php
index 3a770725..1c75d127 100644
--- a/includes/class-functions.php
+++ b/includes/class-functions.php
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'UM_Functions' ) ) {
 			if ( is_array( $var ) ) {
 				return array_map( array( $this, 'clean_array' ), $var );
 			} else {
-				return is_scalar( $var ) ? sanitize_text_field( $var ) : $var;
+				return ! is_scalar( $var ) ? sanitize_text_field( $var ) : $var;
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/includes/core/class-form.php b/includes/core/class-form.php
index 4d7dfa5b..b53dead8 100644
--- a/includes/core/class-form.php
+++ b/includes/core/class-form.php
@@ -122,8 +122,6 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\core\Form' ) ) {
 			if ( isset( $arr_options['post']['members_directory'] ) && 'yes' === $arr_options['post']['members_directory'] ) {
 				$ajax_source_func = $_POST['child_callback'];
 				if ( function_exists( $ajax_source_func ) ) {
-					$arr_options['items'] = call_user_func( $ajax_source_func, $arr_options['field']['parent_dropdown_relationship'] );
-
 					global $wpdb;
 
 					$values_array = $wpdb->get_col(
@@ -137,7 +135,15 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\core\Form' ) ) {
 					);
 
 					if ( ! empty( $values_array ) ) {
-						$arr_options['items'] = array_intersect( $arr_options['items'], $values_array );
+						$arr_options['items'] = call_user_func( $ajax_source_func, $arr_options['field']['parent_dropdown_relationship'] );
+
+						if ( array_keys( $arr_options['items'] ) !== range( 0, count( $arr_options['items'] ) - 1 ) ) {
+							// array with dropdown items is associative
+							$arr_options['items'] = array_intersect_key( array_map( 'trim', $arr_options['items'] ), array_flip( $values_array ) );
+						} else {
+							// array with dropdown items has sequential numeric keys, starting from 0 and there are intersected values with $values_array
+							$arr_options['items'] = array_intersect( $arr_options['items'], $values_array );
+						}
 					} else {
 						$arr_options['items'] = array();
 					}
diff --git a/templates/members-grid.php b/templates/members-grid.php
index 94bb5576..125e1564 100644
--- a/templates/members-grid.php
+++ b/templates/members-grid.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 					<?php if ( $cover_photos ) { ?>
 						<div class="um-member-cover" data-ratio="<?php echo esc_attr( UM()->options()->get( 'profile_cover_ratio' ) ); ?>">
 							<div class="um-member-cover-e">
-								<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="{{{user.display_name}}}">
+								<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="<# if ( user.display_name ) { #>{{{user.display_name}}}<# } #>">
 									{{{user.cover_photo}}}
 								</a>
 							</div>
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 
 					if ( $profile_photo ) { ?>
 						<div class="um-member-photo radius-<?php echo esc_attr( UM()->options()->get( 'profile_photocorner' ) ); ?>">
-							<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="{{{user.display_name}}}">
+							<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="<# if ( user.display_name ) { #>{{{user.display_name}}}<# } #>">
 								{{{user.avatar}}}
 								<?php do_action( 'um_members_in_profile_photo_tmpl', $args ); ?>
 							</a>
@@ -37,11 +37,13 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 
 					<div class="um-member-card <?php if ( ! $profile_photo ) { echo 'no-photo'; } ?>">
 						<?php if ( $show_name ) { ?>
-							<div class="um-member-name">
-								<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="{{{user.display_name}}}">
-									{{{user.display_name_html}}}
-								</a>
-							</div>
+							<# if ( user.display_name_html ) { #>
+								<div class="um-member-name">
+									<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="{{{user.display_name}}}">
+										{{{user.display_name_html}}}
+									</a>
+								</div>
+							<# } #>
 						<?php }
 
 						// please use for buttons priority > 100
@@ -148,4 +150,4 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 
 		<div class="um-clear"></div>
 	</div>
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</script>
diff --git a/templates/members-list.php b/templates/members-list.php
index 1355fa24..09ab2d75 100644
--- a/templates/members-list.php
+++ b/templates/members-list.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 					<div class="um-member-card-container">
 						<?php if ( $profile_photo ) { ?>
 							<div class="um-member-photo radius-<?php echo esc_attr( UM()->options()->get( 'profile_photocorner' ) ); ?>">
-								<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="{{{user.display_name}}}">
+								<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="<# if ( user.display_name ) { #>{{{user.display_name}}}<# } #>">
 									{{{user.avatar}}}
 
 									<?php do_action( 'um_members_list_in_profile_photo_tmpl', $args ); ?>
@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 							<div class="um-member-card-content">
 								<div class="um-member-card-header">
 									<?php if ( $show_name ) { ?>
-										<div class="um-member-name">
-											<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="{{{user.display_name}}}">
-												{{{user.display_name_html}}}
-											</a>
-										</div>
+										<# if ( user.display_name_html ) { #>
+											<div class="um-member-name">
+												<a href="{{{user.profile_url}}}" title="<# if ( user.display_name ) { #>{{{user.display_name}}}<# } #>">
+													{{{user.display_name_html}}}
+												</a>
+											</div>
+										<# } #>
 									<?php } ?>
 
 									{{{user.hook_just_after_name}}}
@@ -148,4 +150,4 @@ $unique_hash = substr( md5( $args['form_id'] ), 10, 5 ); ?>
 		<# } #>
 
 	</div>
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</script>