diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go
index f761136a..62374139 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go
@@ -1307,6 +1307,9 @@ var (
 // to 400).
 func preCheckJobRequest(req *models.JobSubmitRequest) (n int, isArray bool, err error) {
 	logger.Debug("Enter preCheckJobRequest")
+	// bug-1953: the name only decides n and isArray; every submission then
+	// goes through the same checks and conversions below
+	n, isArray = 1, false
 	if req.QueueName == "" {
 		req.QueueName = "normal"
 	} else {
@@ -1343,27 +1346,26 @@ func preCheckJobRequest(req *models.JobSubmitRequest) (n int, isArray bool, err
 			req.JobName = arrayName
 			logger.Debug("preCheckJobRequest parsed array job name",
 				zap.String("jobName", req.JobName), zap.Int("arraySize", count))
-			return count, true, nil
-		}
-
-		// Names without brackets keep the existing path (1.4).
-		arrayName, idx, slotLimit, err := createArrayName(req.JobName)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Error("job name format is invalid", zap.Error(err))
-			return 0, false, errors.New("job array list format is invalid: " + err.Error())
-		}
-
-		if arrayName != "" {
-			if err = isValidArrayName(arrayName); err != nil {
-				logger.Error(err.Error())
+			n, isArray = count, true
+		} else {
+			// Names without brackets keep the existing path (1.4).
+			arrayName, idx, slotLimit, err := createArrayName(req.JobName)
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Error("job name format is invalid", zap.Error(err))
 				return 0, false, errors.New("job array list format is invalid: " + err.Error())
 			}
-		}
 
-		req.JobName = arrayName
-		logger.Debug("preCheckJobRequest parsed job name is: ", zap.String("jobName", req.JobName),
-			zap.Any("indices", idx), zap.Any("slotLimit", slotLimit))
-		return 1, false, nil
+			if arrayName != "" {
+				if err = isValidArrayName(arrayName); err != nil {
+					logger.Error(err.Error())
+					return 0, false, errors.New("job array list format is invalid: " + err.Error())
+				}
+			}
+
+			req.JobName = arrayName
+			logger.Debug("preCheckJobRequest parsed job name is: ", zap.String("jobName", req.JobName),
+				zap.Any("indices", idx), zap.Any("slotLimit", slotLimit))
+		}
 	} else {
 		if req.Command != "" {
 			if len(req.Command) > 4094 {
@@ -1531,7 +1533,7 @@ func preCheckJobRequest(req *models.JobSubmitRequest) (n int, isArray bool, err
 		req.LaunchType = launchType
 	}
 
-	return 1, false, nil
+	return n, isArray, nil
 }
 
 // It returns minTasks, maxTasks, and an error if parsing fails or constraints are violated.
diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go
index 9332c41e..93b598f2 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go
@@ -270,3 +270,36 @@ func TestPreCheckJobRequest_RejectsMalformedResreq(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("malformed resreq must be rejected, got err=%v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// bug-1953: a job name (plain or array) must not skip the checks and
+// conversions every other submission gets.
+func TestPreCheckJobRequest_NamedJobsGetFullValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	resetJobSubmitState()
+	origCfg := utils.JobYamlConfig
+	utils.JobYamlConfig = &utils.JobConfig{MaxArraySize: 1000}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { utils.JobYamlConfig = origCfg })
+
+	for _, name := range []string{"", "myjob", "arr[1-3]"} {
+		req := &models.JobSubmitRequest{JobName: name, Command: "sleep 1"}
+		req.ShellLimit.CPULimit = 60000
+		n, isArray, err := preCheckJobRequest(req)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("name %q: unexpected error %v", name, err)
+		}
+		if req.CPULimit.Seconds != 60 {
+			t.Errorf("name %q: cpu limit not converted: got %d s, want 60", name, req.CPULimit.Seconds)
+		}
+		if name == "arr[1-3]" && (n != 3 || !isArray || req.JobName != "arr") {
+			t.Errorf("array name: got n=%d isArray=%v name=%q, want 3 true \"arr\"", n, isArray, req.JobName)
+		}
+		if name == "myjob" && (n != 1 || isArray) {
+			t.Errorf("plain name: got n=%d isArray=%v, want 1 false", n, isArray)
+		}
+
+		bad := &models.JobSubmitRequest{JobName: name, Command: "sleep 1",
+			ProjectName: strings.Repeat("p", 512)}
+		if _, _, err := preCheckJobRequest(bad); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("name %q: an over-long project name was accepted", name)
+		}
+	}
+}