diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.c b/src/conf/network_conf.c
index c574b01b71..48f39c7540 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.c
@@ -2070,6 +2070,12 @@ virNetworkDefParseXML(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt)
         goto error;
     }
 
+    if (strchr(def->name, '/')) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                       _("name %s cannot contain '/'"), def->name);
+        goto error;
+    }
+
     /* Extract network uuid */
     tmp = virXPathString("string(./uuid[1])", ctxt);
     if (!tmp) {