diff --git a/plugins/apps/functions b/plugins/apps/functions
index 9cdd16b8c21..53756049141 100755
--- a/plugins/apps/functions
+++ b/plugins/apps/functions
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ source "$PLUGIN_CORE_AVAILABLE_PATH/common/functions"
 
 apps_create() {
   [[ -z $1 ]] && dokku_log_fail "Please specify an app to run the command on"
+  [[ ! "$1" =~ ^[a-z].* && ! "$1" =~ ^[0-9].* ]] && dokku_log_fail "App name must begin with lowercase alphanumeric character"
   [[ -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$1" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Name is already taken"
   local APP="$1"
 
diff --git a/plugins/common/functions b/plugins/common/functions
index f2ed3a3a67e..8b18d18b5cd 100755
--- a/plugins/common/functions
+++ b/plugins/common/functions
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ dokku_container_log_verbose_quiet() {
 verify_app_name() {
   local APP="$1"
   [[ ! -n "$APP" ]] && dokku_log_fail "(verify_app_name) APP must not be null"
+  if [[ ! "$APP" =~ ^[a-z].* && ! "$APP" =~ ^[0-9].* ]]; then
+    [[ -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && rm -rf "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP"
+    dokku_log_fail "App name must begin with lowercase alphanumeric character"
+  fi
   [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && dokku_log_fail "App $APP does not exist"
 
   return 0
diff --git a/tests/unit/10_apps.bats b/tests/unit/10_apps.bats
index 587d562b47c..118bf95610e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/10_apps.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/10_apps.bats
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@ load test_helper
   echo "status: "$status
   assert_success
   destroy_app
+
+  run dokku apps:create 1994testapp
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_success
+  dokku --force apps:destroy 1994testapp
+
+  run dokku apps:create TestApp
+  echo "output: "$output
+  echo "status: "$status
+  assert_failure
 }
 
 @test "(apps) apps:destroy" {