diff --git a/plugins/objectdetector/src/edit-distance.ts b/plugins/objectdetector/src/edit-distance.ts
index be9430c162..e598b1e94c 100644
--- a/plugins/objectdetector/src/edit-distance.ts
+++ b/plugins/objectdetector/src/edit-distance.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+// visual similarity
 const similarCharacters = [
   ['0', 'O', 'D'],
   ['1', 'I'],
@@ -32,6 +33,12 @@ function isSameCharacter(c1: string, c2: string) {
 }
 
 export function levenshteinDistance(str1: string, str2: string): number {
+  // todo: handle lower/uppercase similarity in similarCharacters above.
+  // ie, b is visualy similar to 6, but does not really look like B.
+  // others include e and C. v, u and Y. l, i, 1.
+  str1 = str1.toUpperCase();
+  str2 = str2.toUpperCase();
+
   const len1 = str1.length;
   const len2 = str2.length;
 
diff --git a/plugins/objectdetector/src/smart-motionsensor.ts b/plugins/objectdetector/src/smart-motionsensor.ts
index bbe43bac5a..5cafc3c27e 100644
--- a/plugins/objectdetector/src/smart-motionsensor.ts
+++ b/plugins/objectdetector/src/smart-motionsensor.ts
@@ -173,8 +173,7 @@ export class SmartMotionSensor extends ScryptedDeviceBase implements Settings, R
             if (this.storageSettings.values.requireDetectionThumbnail && !detected.detectionId)
                 return false;
 
-            let { labels, labelDistance } = this.storageSettings.values;
-            labels = labels?.map((l: string) => l.toUpperCase());
+            const { labels, labelDistance } = this.storageSettings.values;
 
             const match = detected.detections?.find(d => {
                 if (this.storageSettings.values.requireScryptedNvrDetections && !d.boundingBox)
@@ -208,15 +207,14 @@ export class SmartMotionSensor extends ScryptedDeviceBase implements Settings, R
                 if (!d.label)
                     return false;
 
-                const du = d.label.toUpperCase();
                 for (const label of labels) {
-                    if (label === du)
+                    if (label === d.label)
                         return true;
                     if (!labelDistance)
                         continue;
-                    if (levenshteinDistance(label, du) <= labelDistance)
+                    if (levenshteinDistance(label, d.label) <= labelDistance)
                         return true;
-                    this.console.log('No label does not match.', label, du);
+                    this.console.log('No label does not match.', label, d.label);
                 }
 
                 return false;