diff --git a/full/Changes b/full/Changes
index c4b52fa..a354503 100644
--- a/full/Changes
+++ b/full/Changes
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # version 0.66
 
+ - Updated query and user-group name pattern.
+
 # version 0.65.2
 
 2022-03-03
diff --git a/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/QueryService.java b/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/QueryService.java
index 750dba4..c3081ee 100644
--- a/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/QueryService.java
+++ b/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/QueryService.java
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@
 
     public static boolean DEBUG = false;
 
-    public static Pattern queryNamePattern = Pattern.compile("[-\\w.]+");
+    public static Pattern queryNamePattern = Pattern
+            .compile("[a-zA-Z0-9]+[a-zA-Z_0-9-.]+");
 
     @Autowired
     private QueryDao queryDao;
@@ -319,8 +320,9 @@
 
         if (!queryNamePattern.matcher(queryName).matches()) {
             throw new KustvaktException(StatusCodes.INVALID_ARGUMENT, queryType
-                    .displayName() + " name must only contain "
-                    + "letters, numbers, underscores, hypens and spaces",
+                    .displayName() + " must consists of alphanumerical characters "
+                            + "(limited to ASCII), underscores, dashes and periods. "
+                            + "The name has to start with an alphanumerical character.",
                     queryName);
         }
 
diff --git a/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java b/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java
index 6af321e..47d2c0c 100644
--- a/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java
+++ b/full/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/service/UserGroupService.java
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
     public static Logger jlog = LogManager.getLogger(UserGroupService.class);
     public static boolean DEBUG = false;
     
-    public static Pattern groupNamePattern = Pattern.compile("[-\\w.]+");
+    public static Pattern groupNamePattern = Pattern
+            .compile("[a-zA-Z0-9]+[a-zA-Z_0-9-.]+");
     
     @Autowired
     private UserGroupDao userGroupDao;
@@ -219,8 +220,9 @@
 
         if (!groupNamePattern.matcher(groupName).matches()) {
             throw new KustvaktException(StatusCodes.INVALID_ARGUMENT,
-                    "User-group name must only contains letters, numbers, "
-                            + "underscores, hypens and spaces",
+                    "User-group name must consists of alphanumerical characters "
+                            + "(limited to ASCII), underscores, dashes and periods. "
+                            + "The name has to start with an alphanumerical character.",
                     groupName);
         }