diff --git a/powerdnsadmin/models/account.py b/powerdnsadmin/models/account.py
index 4e3ca97..7425afc 100644
--- a/powerdnsadmin/models/account.py
+++ b/powerdnsadmin/models/account.py
@@ -34,8 +34,12 @@ class Account(db.Model):
         self.API_EXTENDED_URL = utils.pdns_api_extended_uri(self.PDNS_VERSION)
 
         if self.name is not None:
+            if Setting().get('account_name_extra_chars'):
+                char_list = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789_-."
+            else:
+                char_list = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789"
             self.name = ''.join(c for c in self.name.lower()
-                                if c in "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789_-")
+                                if c in char_list)
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return '<Account {0}r>'.format(self.name)
diff --git a/powerdnsadmin/models/setting.py b/powerdnsadmin/models/setting.py
index 33b8db5..08b4b89 100644
--- a/powerdnsadmin/models/setting.py
+++ b/powerdnsadmin/models/setting.py
@@ -190,7 +190,8 @@ class Setting(db.Model):
         'otp_field_enabled': True,
         'custom_css': '',
         'otp_force': False,
-        'max_history_records': 1000
+        'max_history_records': 1000,
+        'account_name_extra_chars': False
     }
 
     def __init__(self, id=None, name=None, value=None):
@@ -271,15 +272,15 @@ class Setting(db.Model):
 
     def get(self, setting):
         if setting in self.defaults:
- 
+
             if setting.upper() in current_app.config:
                 result = current_app.config[setting.upper()]
             else:
                 result = self.query.filter(Setting.name == setting).first()
- 
+
             if result is not None:
                 if hasattr(result,'value'):
-                    result = result.value 
+                    result = result.value
                 return strtobool(result) if result in [
                     'True', 'False'
                 ] else result
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ class Setting(db.Model):
                 return self.defaults[setting]
         else:
             current_app.logger.error('Unknown setting queried: {0}'.format(setting))
-            
+
     def get_records_allow_to_edit(self):
         return list(
             set(self.get_forward_records_allow_to_edit() +
diff --git a/powerdnsadmin/routes/admin.py b/powerdnsadmin/routes/admin.py
index 5573502..fc74eaa 100644
--- a/powerdnsadmin/routes/admin.py
+++ b/powerdnsadmin/routes/admin.py
@@ -1260,7 +1260,9 @@ def setting_basic():
             'allow_user_create_domain', 'allow_user_remove_domain', 'allow_user_view_history', 'bg_domain_updates', 'site_name',
             'session_timeout', 'warn_session_timeout', 'ttl_options',
             'pdns_api_timeout', 'verify_ssl_connections', 'verify_user_email',
-	          'delete_sso_accounts', 'otp_field_enabled', 'custom_css', 'enable_api_rr_history', 'max_history_records', 'otp_force'
+            'delete_sso_accounts', 'otp_field_enabled', 'custom_css', 'enable_api_rr_history', 'max_history_records', 'otp_force',
+            'account_name_extra_chars'
+
         ]
 
         return render_template('admin_setting_basic.html', settings=settings)
diff --git a/powerdnsadmin/routes/index.py b/powerdnsadmin/routes/index.py
index 9893ff6..8682960 100644
--- a/powerdnsadmin/routes/index.py
+++ b/powerdnsadmin/routes/index.py
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ def login():
             if name_prop in me and desc_prop in me:
                 accounts_name_prop = [me[name_prop]] if type(me[name_prop]) is not list else me[name_prop]
                 accounts_desc_prop = [me[desc_prop]] if type(me[desc_prop]) is not list else me[desc_prop]
-		
+
                 #Run on all groups the user is in by the index num.
                 for i in range(len(accounts_name_prop)):
                     description = ''
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ def login():
 
                     account_to_add.append(account)
                 user_accounts = user.get_accounts()
-                
+
 		# Add accounts
                 for account in account_to_add:
                     if account not in user_accounts:
@@ -1088,8 +1088,12 @@ def create_group_to_account_mapping():
 
 
 def handle_account(account_name, account_description=""):
+    if Setting().get('account_name_extra_chars'):
+        char_list = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789_-."
+    else:
+        char_list = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789"
     clean_name = ''.join(c for c in account_name.lower()
-                         if c in "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789_-")
+                         if c in char_list)
     if len(clean_name) > Account.name.type.length:
         current_app.logger.error(
             "Account name {0} too long. Truncated.".format(clean_name))
diff --git a/powerdnsadmin/templates/admin_edit_account.html b/powerdnsadmin/templates/admin_edit_account.html
index 0514ead..1946bc9 100644
--- a/powerdnsadmin/templates/admin_edit_account.html
+++ b/powerdnsadmin/templates/admin_edit_account.html
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
                             <span class="fa fa-cog form-control-feedback"></span>
                             {% if invalid_accountname %}
                             <span class="help-block">Cannot be blank and must only contain alphanumeric
-                                characters, hyphens or underscores.</span>
+                                characters{% if SETTING.get('account_name_extra_chars') %}, dots, hyphens or underscores{% endif %}.</span>
                             {% elif duplicate_accountname %}
                             <span class="help-block">Account name already in use.</span>
                             {% endif %}
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@
                     <p>Fill in all the fields to the in the form to the left.</p>
                     <p>
                         <strong>Name</strong> is an account identifier. It will be lowercased and can contain alphanumeric
-                        characters, hyphens and underscores (no space or other special character is allowed).<br />
+                        characters{% if SETTING.get('account_name_extra_chars') %}, dots, hyphens and underscores (no space or other special character is allowed)
+                        {% else %} (no extra character is allowed){% endif %}.<br />
                         <strong>Description</strong> is a user friendly name for this account.<br />
                         <strong>Contact person</strong> is the name of a contact person at the account.<br />
                         <strong>Mail Address</strong> is an e-mail address for the contact person.