diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/Repository.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/Repository.java
index 665f63487d..5bb50db06f 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/Repository.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/Repository.java
@@ -248,7 +248,8 @@ public class Repository extends BasicPropertiesAware implements ModelObject, Per
   /**
    * Returns true if the {@link Repository} is valid.
    * <ul>
-   * <li>The name is not empty and contains only A-z, 0-9, _, -, /</li>
+   * <li>The namespace is valid</li>
+   * <li>The name is valid</li>
    * <li>The type is not empty</li>
    * <li>The contact is empty or contains a valid email address</li>
    * </ul>
@@ -257,9 +258,10 @@ public class Repository extends BasicPropertiesAware implements ModelObject, Per
    */
   @Override
   public boolean isValid() {
-    return ValidationUtil.isRepositoryNameValid(name) && Util.isNotEmpty(type)
-      && ((Util.isEmpty(contact))
-      || ValidationUtil.isMailAddressValid(contact));
+    return ValidationUtil.isRepositoryNameValid(namespace)
+      && ValidationUtil.isRepositoryNameValid(name)
+      && Util.isNotEmpty(type)
+      && ((Util.isEmpty(contact)) || ValidationUtil.isMailAddressValid(contact));
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/util/ValidationUtil.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/util/ValidationUtil.java
index 2dbf55287d..e354b7efc6 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/util/ValidationUtil.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/util/ValidationUtil.java
@@ -35,14 +35,12 @@ package sonia.scm.util;
 
 //~--- non-JDK imports --------------------------------------------------------
 
-import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
-
 import sonia.scm.Validateable;
 
-//~--- JDK imports ------------------------------------------------------------
-
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+//~--- JDK imports ------------------------------------------------------------
+
 /**
  *
  * @author Sebastian Sdorra
@@ -58,10 +56,10 @@ public final class ValidationUtil
   private static final String REGEX_NAME =
     "^[A-z0-9\\.\\-_@]|[^ ]([A-z0-9\\.\\-_@ ]*[A-z0-9\\.\\-_@]|[^ ])?$";
 
+  public static final String REGEX_REPOSITORYNAME = "(?!^\\.\\.$)(?!^\\.$)(?!.*[\\\\\\[\\]])^[A-z0-9\\.][A-z0-9\\.\\-_]*$";
+
   /** Field description */
-  private static final Pattern REGEX_REPOSITORYNAME = Pattern.compile(
-    "(?!^\\.\\.$)(?!^\\.$)(?!.*[\\\\\\[\\]])^[A-z0-9\\.][A-z0-9\\.\\-_]*$"
-  );
+  private static final Pattern PATTERN_REPOSITORYNAME = Pattern.compile(REGEX_REPOSITORYNAME);
 
   //~--- constructors ---------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -151,7 +149,7 @@ public final class ValidationUtil
    * @return {@code true} if repository name is valid
    */
   public static boolean isRepositoryNameValid(String name) {
-    return REGEX_REPOSITORYNAME.matcher(name).matches();
+    return PATTERN_REPOSITORYNAME.matcher(name).matches();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.js b/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.js
index c7f6fdb8b2..cdd180ad47 100644
--- a/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.js
+++ b/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.js
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 // @flow
 import { validation } from "@scm-manager/ui-components";
 
+const nameRegex = /(?!^\.\.$)(?!^\.$)(?!.*[\\\[\]])^[A-z0-9\.][A-z0-9\.\-_]*$/;
+
 export const isNameValid = (name: string) => {
-  return validation.isNameValid(name);
+  return nameRegex.test(name);
 };
 
 export function isContactValid(mail: string) {
diff --git a/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.test.js b/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.test.js
index bcb29f3ef7..f0b524f2a9 100644
--- a/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.test.js
+++ b/scm-ui/src/repos/components/form/repositoryValidation.test.js
@@ -11,6 +11,81 @@ describe("repository name validation", () => {
     expect(validator.isNameValid("scm/manager")).toBe(false);
     expect(validator.isNameValid("scm/ma/nager")).toBe(false);
   });
+
+  it("should allow same names as the backend", () => {
+    const validPaths = [
+      "scm",
+      "s",
+      "sc",
+      ".hiddenrepo",
+      "b.",
+      "...",
+      "..c",
+      "d..",
+      "a..c"
+    ];
+
+    validPaths.forEach((path) =>
+      expect(validator.isNameValid(path)).toBe(true)
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("should deny same names as the backend", () => {
+    const invalidPaths = [
+      ".",
+      "/",
+      "//",
+      "..",
+      "/.",
+      "/..",
+      "./",
+      "../",
+      "/../",
+      "/./",
+      "/...",
+      "/abc",
+      ".../",
+      "/sdf/",
+      "asdf/",
+      "./b",
+      "scm/plugins/.",
+      "scm/../plugins",
+      "scm/main/",
+      "/scm/main/",
+      "scm/./main",
+      "scm//main",
+      "scm\\main",
+      "scm/main-$HOME",
+      "scm/main-${HOME}-home",
+      "scm/main-%HOME-home",
+      "scm/main-%HOME%-home",
+      "abc$abc",
+      "abc%abc",
+      "abc<abc",
+      "abc>abc",
+      "abc#abc",
+      "abc+abc",
+      "abc{abc",
+      "abc}abc",
+      "abc(abc",
+      "abc)abc",
+      "abc[abc",
+      "abc]abc",
+      "abc|abc",
+      "scm/main",
+      "scm/plugins/git-plugin",
+      ".scm/plugins",
+      "a/b..",
+      "a/..b",
+      "scm/main",
+      "scm/plugins/git-plugin",
+      "scm/plugins/git-plugin"
+    ];
+
+    invalidPaths.forEach((path) =>
+      expect(validator.isNameValid(path)).toBe(false)
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 describe("repository contact validation", () => {
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/api/v2/resources/RepositoryDto.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/api/v2/resources/RepositoryDto.java
index 8b48311bba..f3f28191ae 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/api/v2/resources/RepositoryDto.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/api/v2/resources/RepositoryDto.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.Setter;
 import org.hibernate.validator.constraints.Email;
 import org.hibernate.validator.constraints.NotEmpty;
+import sonia.scm.util.ValidationUtil;
 
 import javax.validation.constraints.Pattern;
 import java.time.Instant;
@@ -25,8 +26,9 @@ public class RepositoryDto extends HalRepresentation {
   private List<HealthCheckFailureDto> healthCheckFailures;
   @JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
   private Instant lastModified;
+  // we could not validate the namespace, this must be done by the namespace strategy
   private String namespace;
-  @Pattern(regexp = "^[A-z0-9\\-_]+$")
+  @Pattern(regexp = ValidationUtil.REGEX_REPOSITORYNAME)
   private String name;
   private boolean archived = false;
   @NotEmpty