diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/validate-space-names.md b/changelog/unreleased/validate-space-names.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d96e255dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/validate-space-names.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Enhancement: Validate space names
+
+We now return `BAD REQUEST` when space names are
+-  too long (max 255 characters)
+-  containing evil characters (`/`, `\`, `.`, `\\`, `:`, `?`, `*`, `"`, `>`, `<`, `|`)
+
+Additionally leading and trailing spaces will be removed silently.
+
+https://github.com/owncloud/ocis/pull/4955
diff --git a/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives.go b/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives.go
index 05dd0aeb3..e75b09a86 100644
--- a/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives.go
+++ b/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives.go
@@ -33,6 +33,20 @@ import (
 	merrors "go-micro.dev/v4/errors"
 )
 
+var (
+	_invalidSpaceNameCharacters = []string{`/`, `\`, `.`, `:`, `?`, `*`, `"`, `>`, `<`, `|`}
+	_maxSpaceNameLength         = 255
+
+	// ErrNameTooLong is thrown when the spacename is too long
+	ErrNameTooLong = fmt.Errorf("spacename must be smaller than %d", _maxSpaceNameLength)
+
+	// ErrNameEmpty is thrown when the spacename is empty
+	ErrNameEmpty = errors.New("spacename must not be empty")
+
+	// ErrForbiddenCharacter is thrown when the spacename contains an invalid character
+	ErrForbiddenCharacter = fmt.Errorf("spacenames must not contain %v", _invalidSpaceNameCharacters)
+)
+
 // GetDrives lists all drives the current user has access to
 func (g Graph) GetDrives(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	g.getDrives(w, r, false)
@@ -229,10 +243,10 @@ func (g Graph) CreateDrive(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		errorcode.InvalidRequest.Render(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, "invalid body schema definition")
 		return
 	}
-	spaceName := *drive.Name
-	if spaceName == "" {
-		logger.Debug().Str("name", spaceName).Msg("could not create drive: invalid name")
-		errorcode.InvalidRequest.Render(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, "invalid name")
+	spaceName := strings.TrimSpace(*drive.Name)
+	if err := validateSpaceName(spaceName); err != nil {
+		logger.Debug().Str("name", spaceName).Err(err).Msg("could not create drive: name validation failed")
+		errorcode.InvalidRequest.Render(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, fmt.Sprintf("invalid spacename: %s", err.Error()))
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -376,7 +390,14 @@ func (g Graph) UpdateDrive(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	if drive.Name != nil {
-		updateSpaceRequest.StorageSpace.Name = *drive.Name
+		spacename := strings.TrimSpace(*drive.Name)
+		if err := validateSpaceName(spacename); err != nil {
+			logger.Info().Err(err).Msg("could not update drive: spacename invalid")
+			errorcode.GeneralException.Render(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, err.Error())
+			return
+		}
+
+		updateSpaceRequest.StorageSpace.Name = spacename
 	}
 
 	if drive.Quota.HasTotal() {
@@ -901,3 +922,21 @@ func sortSpaces(req *godata.GoDataRequest, spaces []*libregraph.Drive) ([]*libre
 	sort.Sort(sorter)
 	return spaces, nil
 }
+
+func validateSpaceName(name string) error {
+	if name == "" {
+		return ErrNameEmpty
+	}
+
+	if len(name) > _maxSpaceNameLength {
+		return ErrNameTooLong
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range _invalidSpaceNameCharacters {
+		if strings.Contains(name, c) {
+			return ErrForbiddenCharacter
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives_test.go b/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives_test.go
index 954b24c4c..ac18991b4 100644
--- a/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives_test.go
+++ b/services/graph/pkg/service/v0/drives_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/CiscoM31/godata"
 	libregraph "github.com/owncloud/libre-graph-api-go"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/test-go/testify/require"
 )
 
 type sortTest struct {
@@ -121,3 +122,35 @@ func TestSort(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, test.DrivesSorted, sorted)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSpaceNameValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	// set max length
+	_maxSpaceNameLength = 10
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		Alias         string
+		SpaceName     string
+		ExpectedError error
+	}{
+		{"Happy Path", "Space", nil},
+		{"Just not too Long", "abcdefghij", nil},
+		{"Too Long", "abcdefghijk", ErrNameTooLong},
+		{"Empty", "", ErrNameEmpty},
+		{"Contains /", "Space/", ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{`Contains \`, `Space\`, ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{`Contains \\`, `Space\\`, ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{"Contains .", "Space.", ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{"Contains :", "Space:", ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{"Contains ?", "Sp?ace", ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{"Contains *", "Spa*ce", ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{`Contains "`, `"Space"`, ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{`Contains >`, `Sp>ce`, ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{`Contains <`, `S<pce`, ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+		{`Contains |`, `S|p|e`, ErrForbiddenCharacter},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		err := validateSpaceName(tc.SpaceName)
+		require.Equal(t, tc.ExpectedError, err, tc.Alias)
+	}
+}