diff --git a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/Util.java b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/Util.java
index 31101f6b..e565c836 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/Util.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/Util.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 /**
@@ -68,6 +69,17 @@ public class Util
         return String.format( "0x%02X", i );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Formats an char as a unicode value.
+     *
+     * @param c the character to format
+     * @return the unicode representation of the character
+     */
+    public static String unicode(char c)
+    {
+        return "\\u" + String.format( "%04x", (int) c ).toUpperCase( Locale.ROOT );
+    }
+
     /**
      * Constructs a pretty one line version of a {@link Throwable}. Useful for
      * debugging.
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/InitialHandler.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/InitialHandler.java
index f5238abc..cc40fe1b 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/InitialHandler.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/InitialHandler.java
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.PingPacket;
 import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.PluginMessage;
 import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.StatusRequest;
 import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.StatusResponse;
+import net.md_5.bungee.util.AllowedCharacters;
 import net.md_5.bungee.util.BoundedArrayList;
 import net.md_5.bungee.util.BufUtil;
 import net.md_5.bungee.util.QuietException;
@@ -352,13 +353,13 @@ public class InitialHandler extends PacketHandler implements PendingConnection
     public void handle(LoginRequest loginRequest) throws Exception
     {
         Preconditions.checkState( thisState == State.USERNAME, "Not expecting USERNAME" );
-        this.loginRequest = loginRequest;
 
-        if ( getName().contains( " " ) )
+        if ( !AllowedCharacters.isValidName( loginRequest.getData(), onlineMode ) )
         {
             disconnect( bungee.getTranslation( "name_invalid" ) );
             return;
         }
+        this.loginRequest = loginRequest;
 
         int limit = BungeeCord.getInstance().config.getPlayerLimit();
         if ( limit > 0 && bungee.getOnlineCount() >= limit )
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/UpstreamBridge.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/UpstreamBridge.java
index c21bdefa..41101a6e 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/UpstreamBridge.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/connection/UpstreamBridge.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.PlayerListItem;
 import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.PluginMessage;
 import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.TabCompleteRequest;
 import net.md_5.bungee.protocol.packet.TabCompleteResponse;
+import net.md_5.bungee.util.AllowedCharacters;
 
 public class UpstreamBridge extends PacketHandler
 {
@@ -147,10 +148,9 @@ public class UpstreamBridge extends PacketHandler
         for ( int index = 0, length = chat.getMessage().length(); index < length; index++ )
         {
             char c = chat.getMessage().charAt( index );
-            // Section symbol, control sequences, and delete
-            if ( c == '\u00A7' || c < ' ' || c == 127 )
+            if ( !AllowedCharacters.isChatAllowedCharacter( c ) )
             {
-                con.disconnect( bungee.getTranslation( "illegal_chat_characters", String.format( "\\u%04x", (int) c ) ) );
+                con.disconnect( bungee.getTranslation( "illegal_chat_characters", Util.unicode( c ) ) );
                 throw CancelSendSignal.INSTANCE;
             }
         }
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/util/AllowedCharacters.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/util/AllowedCharacters.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1cd1090
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/util/AllowedCharacters.java
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package net.md_5.bungee.util;
+
+import lombok.AccessLevel;
+import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
+
+@NoArgsConstructor(access = AccessLevel.PRIVATE)
+public final class AllowedCharacters
+{
+
+    public static boolean isChatAllowedCharacter(char character)
+    {
+        // Section symbols, control sequences, and deletes are not allowed
+        return character != '\u00A7' && character >= ' ' && character != 127;
+    }
+
+    private static boolean isNameAllowedCharacter(char c, boolean onlineMode)
+    {
+        if ( onlineMode )
+        {
+            return ( c >= 'a' && c <= 'z' ) || ( c >= '0' && c <= '9' ) || ( c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z' ) || c == '_';
+        } else
+        {
+            // Don't allow spaces, Yaml config doesn't support them
+            return isChatAllowedCharacter( c ) && c != ' ';
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isValidName(String name, boolean onlineMode)
+    {
+        for ( int index = 0, len = name.length(); index < len; index++ )
+        {
+            if ( !isNameAllowedCharacter( name.charAt( index ), onlineMode ) )
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+}