diff --git a/packages/rest/src/__tests__/unit/router/openapi-path.unit.ts b/packages/rest/src/__tests__/unit/router/openapi-path.unit.ts
index dc377bd887ad..31d66fe01e99 100644
--- a/packages/rest/src/__tests__/unit/router/openapi-path.unit.ts
+++ b/packages/rest/src/__tests__/unit/router/openapi-path.unit.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 // License text available at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
 
 import {expect} from '@loopback/testlab';
-
 import {validateApiPath} from '../../..';
 
 describe('validateApiPath', () => {
@@ -42,6 +41,16 @@ describe('validateApiPath', () => {
     expect(path).to.eql('/{_foo}/{bar}');
   });
 
+  it('allows /{foo-bar}', () => {
+    const path = validateApiPath('/{foo-bar}');
+    expect(path).to.eql('/{foo-bar}');
+  });
+
+  it('allows /{foo}-{bar}', () => {
+    const path = validateApiPath('/{foo}-{bar}');
+    expect(path).to.eql('/{foo}-{bar}');
+  });
+
   it('disallows /:foo/bar', () => {
     disallows('/:foo/bar');
   });
diff --git a/packages/rest/src/router/openapi-path.ts b/packages/rest/src/router/openapi-path.ts
index c88c839f79c4..f4f1d7c97e5f 100644
--- a/packages/rest/src/router/openapi-path.ts
+++ b/packages/rest/src/router/openapi-path.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import pathToRegExp = require('path-to-regexp');
  * allows `[A-Za-z0-9_]`
  */
 const POSSIBLE_VARNAME_PATTERN = /\{([^\}]+)\}/g;
-const INVALID_VARNAME_PATTERN = /\{([^\}]*[^\w\}][^\}]*)\}/;
+const INVALID_VARNAME_PATTERN = /\{([^\}]*[^\w\-\}][^\}]*)\}/;
 
 /**
  * Validate the path to be compatible with OpenAPI path template. No parameter