diff --git a/integration/runtime_test.go b/integration/runtime_test.go
index cf4fcc1d61..cdd4818934 100644
--- a/integration/runtime_test.go
+++ b/integration/runtime_test.go
@@ -748,6 +748,54 @@ func TestRandomContainerName(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestContainerNameValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	eng := NewTestEngine(t)
+	runtime := mkRuntimeFromEngine(eng, t)
+	defer nuke(runtime)
+
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		Name  string
+		Valid bool
+	}{
+		{"abc-123_AAA.1", true},
+		{"\000asdf", false},
+	} {
+		config, _, _, err := docker.ParseRun([]string{unitTestImageID, "echo test"}, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			if !test.Valid {
+				continue
+			}
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		var shortID string
+		job := eng.Job("create", test.Name)
+		if err := job.ImportEnv(config); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		job.Stdout.AddString(&shortID)
+		if err := job.Run(); err != nil {
+			if !test.Valid {
+				continue
+			}
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		container := runtime.Get(shortID)
+
+		if container.Name != "/"+test.Name {
+			t.Fatalf("Expect /%s got %s", test.Name, container.Name)
+		}
+
+		if c := runtime.Get("/" + test.Name); c == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Couldn't retrieve test container as /%s", test.Name)
+		} else if c.ID != container.ID {
+			t.Fatalf("Container /%s has ID %s instead of %s", test.Name, c.ID, container.ID)
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestLinkChildContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	eng := NewTestEngine(t)
 	runtime := mkRuntimeFromEngine(eng, t)
diff --git a/runtime.go b/runtime.go
index 3268892d56..f942d0b740 100644
--- a/runtime.go
+++ b/runtime.go
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ import (
 const MaxImageDepth = 127
 
 var (
-	defaultDns         = []string{"8.8.8.8", "8.8.4.4"}
-	validContainerName = regexp.MustCompile(`^/?[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$`)
+	defaultDns                = []string{"8.8.8.8", "8.8.4.4"}
+	validContainerNameChars   = `[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]`
+	validContainerNamePattern = regexp.MustCompile(`^/?` + validContainerNameChars + `+$`)
 )
 
 type Capabilities struct {
@@ -425,8 +426,8 @@ func (runtime *Runtime) Create(config *Config, name string) (*Container, []strin
 			name = utils.TruncateID(id)
 		}
 	} else {
-		if !validContainerName.MatchString(name) {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid container name (%s), only [a-zA-Z0-9_-] are allowed", name)
+		if !validContainerNamePattern.MatchString(name) {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid container name (%s), only %s are allowed", name, validContainerNameChars)
 		}
 	}