diff --git a/plugins/Alias/plugin.py b/plugins/Alias/plugin.py
index 8b23bbb67..c4f6758a5 100644
--- a/plugins/Alias/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/Alias/plugin.py
@@ -317,10 +317,12 @@ class Alias(callbacks.Plugin):
             irc.error(_('There is no such alias.'))
     unlock = wrap(unlock, [('checkCapability', 'admin'), 'commandName'])
 
-    _invalidCharsRe = re.compile(r'[\[\]\s]')
+    _validNameRe = re.compile(r'^[a-z.|][a-z0-9.|]*$')
     def addAlias(self, irc, name, alias, lock=False):
-        if self._invalidCharsRe.search(name):
-            raise AliasError, 'Names cannot contain spaces or square brackets.'
+        if not self._validNameRe.search(name):
+            raise AliasError('Names can only contain alphanumerical '
+                    'characters and dots and pipes (and the first letter '
+                    'cannot be a number).')
         realName = callbacks.canonicalName(name)
         if name != realName:
             s = format(_('That name isn\'t valid.  Try %q instead.'), realName)
diff --git a/plugins/Alias/test.py b/plugins/Alias/test.py
index 5089faf8e..5a9e24191 100644
--- a/plugins/Alias/test.py
+++ b/plugins/Alias/test.py
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ class AliasTestCase(ChannelPluginTestCase):
         self.failIf('foobar' in cb.aliases)
         self.assertError('foobar')
 
+        self.assertRegexp('alias add café ignore', 'Error.*can only contain')
+        self.assertRegexp('alias add 1abc ignore', 'Error.*can only contain')
+
     def testOptionalArgs(self):
         self.assertNotError('alias add myrepr "repr @1"')
         self.assertResponse('myrepr foo', '"foo"')