diff --git a/docs/monasca-api-spec.md b/docs/monasca-api-spec.md
index fce1acfb9..65acfe383 100644
--- a/docs/monasca-api-spec.md
+++ b/docs/monasca-api-spec.md
@@ -331,10 +331,10 @@ Before using the API, you must first get a valid auth token from Keystone. All A
 A metric is uniquely identified by a name and set of dimensions.
 
 ### Name
-Defines the name of a metric. A name is of type string(255). The name may include any characters except the following: `> < = { } ( ) , ' " ; &`. If one of the restricted characters is needed, this can be achieved by double quoting the name.
+Defines the name of a metric. A name is of type string(255). The name may include any characters except the following: `> < = { } ( ) , ' " \ ; &`. A metric name surrounded by double quotes may include the following: `> < = { } ( ) , ; &`, but not `" \`. Note that JSON does allow control characters (such as `\n`), however these should not be used in metric names.
 
 ### Dimensions
-A dictionary of (key, value) pairs. The key and value are of type string(255). Dimension keys may not begin with '_' (underscore). The dimensions string may include any characters except the following: `> < = { } ( ) , ' " ; &`. If one of the restricted characters is needed, this can be achieved by double quoting the dimension key or value containing the character.
+A dictionary of (key, value) pairs. The key and value are of type string(255). Dimension keys may not begin with '_' (underscore). The dimension key and value strings may include any characters except the following: `> < = { } ( ) , ' " \ ; &`. A dimension key or value surrounded by double quotes may include the following: `> < = { } ( ) , ; &`, but not `" \`. Note that JSON does allow control characters (such as `\n`), however these should not be used in dimension keys or values.
 
 ### Text Representation
 In this document, metrics will be represented in the form `name{name=value,name=value}` where name is the metric name and the name=value pairs in the curly braces are the dimensions. For example, `cpu.idle_perc{service=monitoring,hostname=mini-mon}` represents a metric with the name "cpu.idle_perc" and the dimensions "service=monitoring" and "hostname=mini-mon".
diff --git a/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/DimensionValidation.java b/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/DimensionValidation.java
index ac2c2c575..34899d8e9 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/DimensionValidation.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/DimensionValidation.java
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ public final class DimensionValidation {
   private static final Map<String, DimensionValidator> VALIDATORS;
   private static final Pattern UUID_PATTERN = Pattern
       .compile("\\w{8}-\\w{4}-\\w{4}-\\w{4}-\\w{12}");
-  private static final Pattern VALID_DIMENSION_NAME = Pattern.compile("[^><={}(), '\";&]+$");
-  private static final String INVALID_CHAR_STRING = "> < = { } ( ) ' \" , ; &";
+  private static final Pattern VALID_DIMENSION_NAME = Pattern.compile("[^><={}(), '\"\\\\;&]+$");
+  private static final String INVALID_CHAR_STRING = "> < = { } ( ) ' \" \\ , ; &";
 
   private DimensionValidation() {}
 
diff --git a/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/MetricNameValidation.java b/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/MetricNameValidation.java
index c091c5c4a..cbdd54d39 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/MetricNameValidation.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/validation/MetricNameValidation.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import com.sun.jersey.spi.container.WebApplication;
  * Utilities for validating metric names.
  */
 public class MetricNameValidation {
-  private static final Pattern VALID_METRIC_NAME = Pattern.compile("[^><={}(), '\";&]+$");
+  private static final Pattern VALID_METRIC_NAME = Pattern.compile("[^><={}(), '\"\\\\;&]+$");
 
   private MetricNameValidation() {}
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class MetricNameValidation {
       throw Exceptions.unprocessableEntity("Metric name %s must be %d characters or less",
           metricName, CreateMetricCommand.MAX_NAME_LENGTH);
     if (!Services.isReserved(metricName) && !VALID_METRIC_NAME.matcher(metricName).matches())
-      throw Exceptions.unprocessableEntity("Metric name %s may not contain: > < = { } ( ) ' \" , ; &",
+      throw Exceptions.unprocessableEntity("Metric name %s may not contain: > < = { } ( ) ' \" \\ , ; &",
           metricName);
 
     // Service specific validations
diff --git a/java/src/test/java/monasca/api/resource/MetricResourceTest.java b/java/src/test/java/monasca/api/resource/MetricResourceTest.java
index 92714daf1..a64273049 100644
--- a/java/src/test/java/monasca/api/resource/MetricResourceTest.java
+++ b/java/src/test/java/monasca/api/resource/MetricResourceTest.java
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public class MetricResourceTest extends AbstractMonApiResourceTest {
             valueMeta));
 
     ErrorMessages.assertThat(response.getEntity(String.class)).matches("unprocessable_entity", 422,
-        "Metric name hpcs{.compute% may not contain: > < = { } ( ) ' \" , ; &");
+        "Metric name hpcs{.compute% may not contain: > < = { } ( ) ' \" \\ , ; &");
   }
 
   public void shouldErrorOnCreateWithTooLongName() {