diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.persistence.jdbc/src/main/java/org/openhab/persistence/jdbc/internal/JdbcMapper.java b/bundles/org.openhab.persistence.jdbc/src/main/java/org/openhab/persistence/jdbc/internal/JdbcMapper.java
index 7a510527fa394..2b31c759ca434 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.persistence.jdbc/src/main/java/org/openhab/persistence/jdbc/internal/JdbcMapper.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.persistence.jdbc/src/main/java/org/openhab/persistence/jdbc/internal/JdbcMapper.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.knowm.yank.Yank;
 import org.openhab.core.i18n.TimeZoneProvider;
 import org.openhab.core.items.Item;
+import org.openhab.core.items.ItemUtil;
 import org.openhab.core.persistence.FilterCriteria;
 import org.openhab.core.persistence.HistoricItem;
 import org.openhab.core.persistence.PersistenceItemInfo;
@@ -340,6 +341,11 @@ public void populateItemNameToTableNameMap() throws JdbcSQLException {
             }
         } else {
             for (ItemsVO vo : getItemIDTableNames()) {
+                String itemName = vo.getItemName();
+                if (!ItemUtil.isValidItemName(itemName)) {
+                    logger.warn("Skipping invalid item name {}", itemName);
+                    continue;
+                }
                 itemNameToTableNameMap.put(vo.getItemName(),
                         namingStrategy.getTableName(vo.getItemId(), vo.getItemName()));
             }
@@ -429,6 +435,10 @@ private void formatTableNames() throws JdbcSQLException {
             }
             oldNewTableNames = new ArrayList<>();
             for (String itemName : itemTables) {
+                if (!ItemUtil.isValidItemName(itemName)) {
+                    logger.warn("JDBC::formatTableNames: Skipping invalid item name {}", itemName);
+                    continue;
+                }
                 ItemsVO isvo = new ItemsVO();
                 isvo.setItemName(itemName);
                 isvo.setItemsManageTable(conf.getItemsManageTable());