diff --git a/libnm-core/tests/test-general.c b/libnm-core/tests/test-general.c
index d928d855b..88ca93f95 100644
--- a/libnm-core/tests/test-general.c
+++ b/libnm-core/tests/test-general.c
@@ -8503,21 +8503,6 @@ test_connection_ovs_ifname (gconstpointer test_data)
 		nmtst_assert_connection_unnormalizable (con,
 		                                        NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
 		                                        NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_PROPERTY);
-
-		/* wrong: contains non-alphanumerical char */
-		g_object_set (s_con,
-		              NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_INTERFACE_NAME, "ovs-0",
-		              NULL);
-		nmtst_assert_connection_unnormalizable (con,
-		                                        NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
-		                                        NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_PROPERTY);
-
-		g_object_set (s_con,
-		              NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_INTERFACE_NAME, "ovs@0",
-		              NULL);
-		nmtst_assert_connection_unnormalizable (con,
-		                                        NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
-		                                        NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_PROPERTY);
 	}
 
 	/* wrong: contains space */
@@ -8534,6 +8519,11 @@ test_connection_ovs_ifname (gconstpointer test_data)
 	              NULL);
 	nmtst_assert_connection_verifies (con);
 
+	g_object_set (s_con,
+	              NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_INTERFACE_NAME, "ovs-br0",
+	              NULL);
+	nmtst_assert_connection_verifies (con);
+
 	/* good if bridge, port, or patch interface */
 	g_object_set (s_con,
 	              NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_INTERFACE_NAME, "ovs123123123123130123123",
diff --git a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
index 89ee66f7e..b6f260f52 100644
--- a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
+++ b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
@@ -4097,11 +4097,14 @@ _nm_utils_ifname_valid_ovs (const char* name, GError **error)
 {
 	const char *ch;
 
+	/* OVS actually accepts a wider range of chars (all printable UTF-8 chars),
+	 NetworkManager restricts this to ASCII char as it's a safer option for
+	 now since OVS is not well documented on this matter.
+	 */
 	for (ch = name; *ch; ++ch) {
 		if (   *ch == '\\'
 		    || *ch == '/'
-		    || g_ascii_isspace (*ch)
-		    || !g_ascii_isalnum (*ch)) {
+		    || !g_ascii_isgraph (*ch)) {
 			g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
 			                     _("interface name must be alphanumerical with "
 			                       "no forward or backward slashes"));