diff --git a/common-functions b/common-functions
index 697fcd7..d215074 100755
--- a/common-functions
+++ b/common-functions
@@ -731,3 +731,15 @@ verify_service_name() {
   [[ ! -d "$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "$PLUGIN_SERVICE service $SERVICE does not exist"
   return 0
 }
+
+is_valid_service_name() {
+  declare desc="Validates a service name"
+  declare SERVICE="$1"
+  [[ -z "$SERVICE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "SERVICE must not be null"
+
+  if [[ "$SERVICE" =~ ^[A-Za-z0-9_]+$ ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  return 1
+}
diff --git a/functions b/functions
index ac6209b..b46132d 100755
--- a/functions
+++ b/functions
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ service_connect() {
 
 service_create() {
   local SERVICE="$1"
+  is_valid_service_name "$SERVICE" || dokku_log_fail "Please specify a valid name for the service. Valid characters are: [A-Za-z0-9_]+"
   [[ -z "$SERVICE" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify a name for the service"
   [[ ! -d "$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE" ]] || dokku_log_fail "$PLUGIN_SERVICE service $SERVICE already exists"
   SERVICE_ROOT="$PLUGIN_DATA_ROOT/$SERVICE"; LINKS_FILE="$SERVICE_ROOT/LINKS"
diff --git a/tests/service_create.bats b/tests/service_create.bats
index 7ecb87b..777441d 100755
--- a/tests/service_create.bats
+++ b/tests/service_create.bats
@@ -10,3 +10,11 @@ load test_helper
   run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create"
   assert_contains "${lines[*]}" "Please specify a name for the service"
 }
+
+@test "($PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create) error when there is an invalid name specified" {
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create" d.erp
+  assert_failure
+
+  run dokku "$PLUGIN_COMMAND_PREFIX:create" d-erp
+  assert_failure
+}