diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 914c91b..f91925c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 # It is not intended for manual editing.
 version = 4
 
+[[package]]
+name = "aho-corasick"
+version = "1.1.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ddd31a130427c27518df266943a5308ed92d4b226cc639f5a8f1002816174301"
+dependencies = [
+ "memchr",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "anyhow"
 version = "1.0.102"
@@ -98,6 +107,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "axum",
  "futures",
  "rand 0.10.1",
+ "regex",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "tokio",
@@ -668,6 +678,35 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "regex"
+version = "1.12.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e10754a14b9137dd7b1e3e5b0493cc9171fdd105e0ab477f51b72e7f3ac0e276"
+dependencies = [
+ "aho-corasick",
+ "memchr",
+ "regex-automata",
+ "regex-syntax",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-automata"
+version = "0.4.14"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6e1dd4122fc1595e8162618945476892eefca7b88c52820e74af6262213cae8f"
+dependencies = [
+ "aho-corasick",
+ "memchr",
+ "regex-syntax",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-syntax"
+version = "0.8.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "dc897dd8d9e8bd1ed8cdad82b5966c3e0ecae09fb1907d58efaa013543185d0a"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ryu"
 version = "1.0.23"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5c8450b..f64fae2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ anyhow = "1.0.102"
 axum = { version = "0.8.9", features = ["ws"] }
 futures = "0.3.32"
 rand = "0.10.1"
+regex = "1.12.3"
 serde = { version = "1.0.228", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0.149"
 tokio = { version = "1.52.3", features = ["full"] }
diff --git a/src/.main.rs.swp b/src/.main.rs.swp
index 298a616..a56e880 100644
Binary files a/src/.main.rs.swp and b/src/.main.rs.swp differ
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 14f57f4..7870687 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use futures::StreamExt as _;
 use rand::random_bool;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize, de};
 use serde_json::json;
+use regex::Regex;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, Serialize, Debug, Ord, Eq, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Clone)]
 struct Entry
@@ -372,15 +373,14 @@ async fn handle_socket
 
 	let Some(name) = socket.next().await else
 	{
-		eprintln!("user gave no username");
+		eprintln!("No username");
 		return;
 	};
 	let name: Arc<str> = match name.expect("failed to recv socket msg")
 	{
-		Message::Text(text)
-			if validate_name(&text.to_string()) =>
+		Message::Text(text) =>
 		{
-			Arc::from(text.to_string().into_boxed_str())
+			Arc::from(validate_name(text.to_string()))
 		}
 		_ => Arc::from("anon"),
 	};
@@ -442,16 +442,25 @@ async fn handle_socket
 	}
 }
 
-fn validate_name(input: &str) -> bool {
+fn validate_name(input: String) -> String {
 	let input = input.trim();
-
-	// Length check
-	if input.is_empty() || input.len() > 32
+	if input == "null"
 	{
-		return false;
+		return "anon".to_string();
+	}
+	// Length check
+	if input.is_empty() || input.len() > 32 {
+		return "anon".to_string();
 	}
 
-	input.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric())
+	// Allow only letters, numbers, _ and -
+	let re = Regex::new(r"^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$").unwrap();
+
+	if re.is_match(input) {
+		input.to_string()
+	} else {
+		"anon".to_string()
+	}
 }
 
 // static routes