diff --git a/src/exception.hpp b/src/exception.hpp
index 41e113ac..78a595b5 100644
--- a/src/exception.hpp
+++ b/src/exception.hpp
@@ -534,7 +534,10 @@ class invalid_folder_name : public messaging_exception
 {
 public:
 
-	invalid_folder_name(const string& error) : messaging_exception("Invalid folder name: " + error + ".") {}
+	invalid_folder_name(const string& error = "")
+		: messaging_exception(error.empty()
+			? "Invalid folder name: " + error + "."
+			: "Invalid folder name.") {}
 	~invalid_folder_name() throw() {}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/messaging/maildirFolder.cpp b/src/messaging/maildirFolder.cpp
index 854e7dfb..bfb6e5b1 100644
--- a/src/messaging/maildirFolder.cpp
+++ b/src/messaging/maildirFolder.cpp
@@ -198,6 +198,9 @@ void maildirFolder::create(const int type)
 	{
 		utility::fileSystemFactory* fsf = platformDependant::getHandler()->getFileSystemFactory();
 
+		if (!fsf->isValidPath(maildirUtils::getFolderFSPath(m_store, m_path, maildirUtils::FOLDER_PATH_ROOT)))
+			throw exceptions::invalid_folder_name();
+
 		utility::auto_ptr <utility::file> rootDir = fsf->create
 			(maildirUtils::getFolderFSPath(m_store, m_path, maildirUtils::FOLDER_PATH_ROOT));
 
diff --git a/src/utility/file.hpp b/src/utility/file.hpp
index 1f92696b..5dc7d01d 100644
--- a/src/utility/file.hpp
+++ b/src/utility/file.hpp
@@ -204,21 +204,37 @@ public:
 	  * @param path full path (absolute) of the file
 	  * @return new file object for the path
 	  */
-	virtual file* create(const file::path& path) = 0;
+	virtual file* create(const file::path& path) const = 0;
 
 	/** Parse a path contained in a string.
 	  *
 	  * @param str string containing a path in a system-dependant representation
 	  * @return path object (abstract representation)
 	  */
-	virtual file::path stringToPath(const string& str) = 0;
+	virtual const file::path stringToPath(const string& str) const = 0;
 
 	/** Return the system-dependant string representation for the specified path.
 	  *
 	  * @param path abstract representation of the path
 	  * @return string representation of the path
 	  */
-	virtual string pathToString(const file::path& path) = 0;
+	virtual const string pathToString(const file::path& path) const = 0;
+
+	/** Test whether the specified path component is syntactically
+	  * valid (ie: does not contain any 'special' character).
+	  *
+	  * @param comp path component to test
+	  * @return true if the component is valid, false otherwise
+	  */
+	virtual const bool isValidPathComponent(const file::path::component& comp) const = 0;
+
+	/** Test whether the specified path is syntactically valid
+	  * (ie: components do not contain any 'special' character).
+	  *
+	  * @param path path to test
+	  * @return true if the path is valid, false otherwise
+	  */
+	virtual const bool isValidPath(const file::path& path) const = 0;
 };