diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/darkswarm/services/cart.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/darkswarm/services/cart.js.coffee
index c519d22fdd..0135416ac4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/darkswarm/services/cart.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/darkswarm/services/cart.js.coffee
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Darkswarm.factory 'Cart', (CurrentOrder, Variants, $timeout, $http)->
       for line_item in @line_items
         line_item.variant.line_item = line_item
         Variants.register line_item.variant
+        line_item.variant.extended_name = @extendedVariantName(line_item.variant)
 
     orderChanged: =>
       @unsaved()
@@ -67,4 +68,12 @@ Darkswarm.factory 'Cart', (CurrentOrder, Variants, $timeout, $http)->
         variant: variant
         quantity: null
         max_quantity: null
-      @line_items.push variant.line_item
\ No newline at end of file
+      @line_items.push variant.line_item
+
+    extendedVariantName: (variant) =>
+      if variant.product_name == variant.name_to_display
+        variant.product_name
+      else
+        name =  "#{variant.product_name} - #{variant.name_to_display}"
+        name += " (#{variant.options_text})" if variant.options_text
+        name
diff --git a/app/serializers/api/variant_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/api/variant_serializer.rb
index 5871d6def4..f995fa4345 100644
--- a/app/serializers/api/variant_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/api/variant_serializer.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 class Api::VariantSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
   attributes :id, :is_master, :count_on_hand, :name_to_display, :unit_to_display, 
-    :on_demand, :price, :fees, :price_with_fees
+    :options_text, :on_demand, :price, :fees, :price_with_fees, :product_name
 
   def price_with_fees
     object.price_with_fees(options[:current_distributor], options[:current_order_cycle])
@@ -13,4 +13,9 @@ class Api::VariantSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
   def fees
     object.fees_by_type_for(options[:current_distributor], options[:current_order_cycle])
   end
+
+  def product_name
+    object.product.name
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/app/views/shared/menu/_cart.html.haml b/app/views/shared/menu/_cart.html.haml
index b0e44f3bad..716d198f67 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/menu/_cart.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/shared/menu/_cart.html.haml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
                 / %em {{ line_item.variant.unit_to_display }}
                 / - if {{ line_item.product.name }} == {{ line_item.variant.name_to_display }}
                 %strong
-                  {{ line_item.variant.name_to_display }}
+                  {{ line_item.variant.extended_name }}
 
             .columns.small-3.text-right
               %small
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/unit/darkswarm/services/cart_spec.js.coffee b/spec/javascripts/unit/darkswarm/services/cart_spec.js.coffee
index 4d13ccc8b5..4be1a13dd8 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/unit/darkswarm/services/cart_spec.js.coffee
+++ b/spec/javascripts/unit/darkswarm/services/cart_spec.js.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ describe 'Cart service', ->
 
   beforeEach ->
     module 'Darkswarm'
-    variant = {id: 1}
+    variant =
+      id: 1
+      name_to_display: 'name'
+      product_name: 'name'
     order = {
       line_items: [
         variant: variant
@@ -23,6 +26,9 @@ describe 'Cart service', ->
   it "registers variants with the Variants service", ->
     expect(Variants.variants[1]).toBe variant
 
+  it "generates extended variant names", ->
+    expect(Cart.line_items[0].variant.extended_name).toEqual "name"
+
   it "creates and backreferences new line items if necessary", ->
     Cart.register_variant(v2 = {id: 2})
     expect(Cart.line_items[1].variant).toBe v2
@@ -37,3 +43,23 @@ describe 'Cart service', ->
     expect(Cart.line_items_present()).toEqual []
     order.line_items[0].quantity = 2
     expect(Cart.total_item_count()).toEqual 2
+
+  describe "generating an extended variant name", ->
+    it "returns the product name when it is the same as the variant name", ->
+      variant = {product_name: 'product_name', name_to_display: 'product_name'}
+      expect(Cart.extendedVariantName(variant)).toEqual "product_name"
+
+    describe "when the product name and the variant name differ", ->
+      it "returns a combined name when there is no options text", ->
+        variant =
+          product_name: 'product_name'
+          name_to_display: 'name_to_display'
+        expect(Cart.extendedVariantName(variant)).toEqual "product_name - name_to_display"
+
+      it "returns a combined name when there is some options text", ->
+        variant =
+          product_name: 'product_name'
+          name_to_display: 'name_to_display'
+          options_text: 'options_text'
+
+        expect(Cart.extendedVariantName(variant)).toEqual "product_name - name_to_display (options_text)"