diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/ui/common/Utils.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/ui/common/Utils.java
index acada27f28..c4e2ca2c1a 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/ui/common/Utils.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/ui/common/Utils.java
@@ -270,6 +270,10 @@ public final class Utils extends StringUtils
             buf.append(name);
             buf.append("'].value='");
             String val = params.get(name);
+            if(val != null)
+            {
+               val = Utils.encode(val);
+            }
             val = replace(val, "\\", "\\\\");   // encode escape character
             val = replace(val, "'", "\\'");     // encode single quote as we wrap string with that
             buf.append(val);
diff --git a/source/web/jsp/groups/new-group.jsp b/source/web/jsp/groups/new-group.jsp
index a50952dbec..7eb3ce1dd8 100644
--- a/source/web/jsp/groups/new-group.jsp
+++ b/source/web/jsp/groups/new-group.jsp
@@ -32,12 +32,16 @@
 <%@ page import="org.alfresco.web.ui.common.PanelGenerator" %>
 
 <f:verbatim>
+<script type="text/javascript" src="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/scripts/validation.js"> </script>
 <script type="text/javascript">
+   var finishButtonPressed = false;
    window.onload = pageLoaded;
    
    function pageLoaded()
    {
       document.getElementById("dialog:dialog-body:name").focus();
+      document.getElementById("dialog").onsubmit = validate;
+      document.getElementById("dialog:finish-button").onclick = function() {finishButtonPressed = true;}
       checkButtonState();
    }
    
@@ -52,8 +56,27 @@
          document.getElementById("dialog:finish-button").disabled = false;
       }
    }
-</script>
 
+
+   function validate()
+   {
+      if (finishButtonPressed)
+      {
+         finishButtonPressed = false;
+
+         var message = (window.gecko) ? $("dialog:dialog-body:validation_invalid_character").textContent : $("dialog:dialog-body:validation_invalid_character").innerText;
+         return validateName(document.getElementById("dialog:dialog-body:name"),
+               message,
+               true);
+      }
+      else
+      {
+         return true;
+      }
+   }
+
+</script>
+<h:outputText id="validation_invalid_character" style="display:none" value="#{msg.validation_invalid_character}" />   
 <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" border="0" width="100%">
 <tr>
 <td colspan="2" class="wizardSectionHeading"></f:verbatim><h:outputText value="#{msg.group_props}" /><f:verbatim></td>
diff --git a/source/web/jsp/users/new-user-wizard/new-user-properties.jsp b/source/web/jsp/users/new-user-wizard/new-user-properties.jsp
index 5f946eee50..288949318a 100644
--- a/source/web/jsp/users/new-user-wizard/new-user-properties.jsp
+++ b/source/web/jsp/users/new-user-wizard/new-user-properties.jsp
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@
 <%@ taglib uri="/WEB-INF/repo.tld" prefix="r" %>
 
 <f:verbatim>
+<script type="text/javascript" src="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/scripts/validation.js"> </script>   
 <script type="text/javascript">
 
+var finishButtonPressed = false;
+
 window.onload = pageLoaded;
 
 function pageLoaded()
@@ -39,6 +42,9 @@ function pageLoaded()
 		document.getElementById("wizard:wizard-body:userName").disabled == false)
 	{
 		document.getElementById("wizard:wizard-body:userName").focus();
+      document.getElementById("wizard").onsubmit = validate;
+      document.getElementById("wizard:finish-button").onclick = function() {finishButtonPressed = true;}
+      document.getElementById("wizard:next-button").onclick = function() {finishButtonPressed = true;}      
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -46,7 +52,6 @@ function pageLoaded()
 	}
 	updateButtonState();
 }
-
 function updateButtonState()
 {
 	if (document.getElementById("wizard:wizard-body:password") != null &&
@@ -71,7 +76,26 @@ function updateButtonState()
 		document.getElementById("wizard:next-button").disabled = false;
 	}
 }
+
+function validate()
+{
+   if (finishButtonPressed)
+   {
+      finishButtonPressed = false;
+
+      var message = (window.gecko) ? $("wizard:wizard-body:validation_invalid_character").textContent : $("wizard:wizard-body:validation_invalid_character").innerText;
+      return validateName(document.getElementById("wizard:wizard-body:userName"),
+            message,
+            true);
+   }
+   else
+   {
+      return true;
+   }
+}
+
 </script>
+<h:outputText id="validation_invalid_character" style="display:none" value="#{msg.validation_invalid_character}" />
 </f:verbatim>
 
 <h:panelGrid columns="1" cellpadding="2" style="padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 4px;"