diff --git a/src/urlMatcherFactory.js b/src/urlMatcherFactory.js
index 8458a3e27..8a0c27a99 100644
--- a/src/urlMatcherFactory.js
+++ b/src/urlMatcherFactory.js
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ function UrlMatcher(pattern, config, parentMatcher) {
   //    \\.                            - a backslash escape
   //    \{(?:[^{}\\]+|\\.)*\}          - a matched set of curly braces containing other atoms
   var placeholder       = /([:*])([\w\[\]]+)|\{([\w\[\]]+)(?:\:\s*((?:[^{}\\]+|\\.|\{(?:[^{}\\]+|\\.)*\})+))?\}/g,
-      searchPlaceholder = /([:]?)([\w\[\]-]+)|\{([\w\[\]-]+)(?:\:\s*((?:[^{}\\]+|\\.|\{(?:[^{}\\]+|\\.)*\})+))?\}/g,
+      searchPlaceholder = /([:]?)([\w\[\].-]+)|\{([\w\[\].-]+)(?:\:\s*((?:[^{}\\]+|\\.|\{(?:[^{}\\]+|\\.)*\})+))?\}/g,
       compiled = '^', last = 0, m,
       segments = this.segments = [],
       parentParams = parentMatcher ? parentMatcher.params : {},
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ function UrlMatcher(pattern, config, parentMatcher) {
   function addParameter(id, type, config, location) {
     paramNames.push(id);
     if (parentParams[id]) return parentParams[id];
-    if (!/^\w+(-+\w+)*(?:\[\])?$/.test(id)) throw new Error("Invalid parameter name '" + id + "' in pattern '" + pattern + "'");
+    if (!/^\w+([-.]+\w+)*(?:\[\])?$/.test(id)) throw new Error("Invalid parameter name '" + id + "' in pattern '" + pattern + "'");
     if (params[id]) throw new Error("Duplicate parameter name '" + id + "' in pattern '" + pattern + "'");
     params[id] = new $$UMFP.Param(id, type, config, location);
     return params[id];
diff --git a/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js b/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js
index 755c54d2f..a57a26582 100755
--- a/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js
+++ b/test/urlMatcherFactorySpec.js
@@ -88,6 +88,28 @@ describe("UrlMatcher", function () {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("parameters containing periods", function() {
+    it("should match if properly formatted", function() {
+      var matcher = new UrlMatcher('/users/?from&to&with.periods&with.periods.also');
+      var params = matcher.parameters();
+
+      expect(params.length).toBe(4);
+      expect(params).toContain('from');
+      expect(params).toContain('to');
+      expect(params).toContain('with.periods');
+      expect(params).toContain('with.periods.also');
+      expect(matcher.parameters()).toEqual(['from','to','with.periods','with.periods.also']);
+    });
+
+    it("should not match if invalid", function() {
+      var err = "Invalid parameter name '.periods' in pattern '/users/?from&to&.periods'";
+      expect(function() { new UrlMatcher('/users/?from&to&.periods'); }).toThrow(err);
+
+      err = "Invalid parameter name 'periods.' in pattern '/users/?from&to&periods.'";
+      expect(function() { new UrlMatcher('/users/?from&to&periods.'); }).toThrow(err);
+    });
+  });  
+
   describe(".exec()", function() {
     it("should capture parameter values", function () {
       var m = new UrlMatcher('/users/:id/details/{type}/{repeat:[0-9]+}?from&to');