diff --git a/vips.go b/vips.go
index 1d03c92..906a935 100644
--- a/vips.go
+++ b/vips.go
@@ -246,8 +246,9 @@ func vipsExifOrientation(image *C.VipsImage) int {
 }
 
 func vipsExifShort(s string) string {
-	if strings.Contains(s, " (") {
-		return s[:strings.Index(s, "(")-1]
+	i := strings.Index(s, " (")
+	if i > 0 {
+		return s[:i]
 	}
 	return s
 }
diff --git a/vips_test.go b/vips_test.go
index 6ed48ba..0b55d8d 100644
--- a/vips_test.go
+++ b/vips_test.go
@@ -219,6 +219,33 @@ func TestVipsMemory(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestVipsExifShort(t *testing.T) {
+	tt := []struct {
+		input    string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			input:    `( ()`,
+			expected: `(`,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    ` ()`,
+			expected: ` ()`,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    `sRGB`,
+			expected: `sRGB`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tt {
+		got := vipsExifShort(tc.input)
+		if got != tc.expected {
+			t.Fatalf("expected: %s; got: %s", tc.expected, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func readImage(file string) []byte {
 	img, _ := os.Open(path.Join("testdata", file))
 	buf, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(img)