diff --git a/src/ui/component/publishForm/view.jsx b/src/ui/component/publishForm/view.jsx
index 8d09a44c2..bae773b6f 100644
--- a/src/ui/component/publishForm/view.jsx
+++ b/src/ui/component/publishForm/view.jsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 import React, { useEffect, Fragment } from 'react';
 import { CHANNEL_NEW, CHANNEL_ANONYMOUS } from 'constants/claim';
-import { buildURI, isURIValid, THUMBNAIL_STATUSES } from 'lbry-redux';
+import { buildURI, isURIValid, isNameValid, THUMBNAIL_STATUSES } from 'lbry-redux';
 import Button from 'component/button';
 import ChannelSection from 'component/selectChannel';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ function PublishForm(props: Props) {
   } = props;
   const formDisabled = (!filePath && !editingURI) || publishing;
   // If they are editing, they don't need a new file chosen
-  const formValidLessFile = name && title && bid && !(uploadThumbnailStatus === THUMBNAIL_STATUSES.IN_PROGRESS);
+  const formValidLessFile =
+    name && isNameValid(name, false) && title && bid && !(uploadThumbnailStatus === THUMBNAIL_STATUSES.IN_PROGRESS);
   const formValid = editingURI && !filePath ? isStillEditing && formValidLessFile : formValidLessFile;
 
   let submitLabel;
diff --git a/src/ui/component/publishFormErrors/view.jsx b/src/ui/component/publishFormErrors/view.jsx
index 28a0b862f..914236a54 100644
--- a/src/ui/component/publishFormErrors/view.jsx
+++ b/src/ui/component/publishFormErrors/view.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 import React from 'react';
-import { THUMBNAIL_STATUSES } from 'lbry-redux';
+import { THUMBNAIL_STATUSES, isNameValid } from 'lbry-redux';
 
 type Props = {
   title: ?string,
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ function PublishFormErrors(props: Props) {
     <div className="error-text">
       {!title && <div>{__('A title is required')}</div>}
       {!name && <div>{__('A URL is required')}</div>}
+      {!isNameValid(name, false) && __('LBRY names cannot contain spaces or reserved symbols ($#@;/"<>%{}|^~[]`)')}
       {!bid && <div>{__('A deposit amount is required')}</div>}
       {uploadThumbnailStatus === THUMBNAIL_STATUSES.IN_PROGRESS && (
         <div>{__('Please wait for thumbnail to finish uploading')}</div>
diff --git a/src/ui/component/selectChannel/view.jsx b/src/ui/component/selectChannel/view.jsx
index 0194154ff..5d9eb6ae8 100644
--- a/src/ui/component/selectChannel/view.jsx
+++ b/src/ui/component/selectChannel/view.jsx
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ class ChannelSection extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
     }
 
     let newChannelNameError;
-    if (newChannelName.length > 1 && !isNameValid(newChannelName.substr(1), false)) {
-      newChannelNameError = __('LBRY channel names must contain only letters, numbers and dashes.');
+    if (newChannelName.length > 0 && !isNameValid(newChannelName, false)) {
+      newChannelNameError = __('LBRY names cannot contain spaces or reserved symbols ($#@;/"<>%{}|^~[]`)');
     }
 
     this.setState({
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class ChannelSection extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
     const { balance, createChannel, onChannelChange } = this.props;
     const { newChannelBid, newChannelName } = this.state;
 
-    const channelName = `@${newChannelName}`;
+    const channelName = `@${newChannelName.trim()}`;
 
     if (newChannelBid > balance) {
       return;