diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
index 10d5e4bcaa..d5bad451a4 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// The route parameter name '{0}' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{{', '}}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter.
+        /// The route parameter name '{0}' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{{', '}}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all, and can occur only at the start of the parameter.
         /// </summary>
         internal static string TemplateRoute_InvalidParameterName
         {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// The route parameter name '{0}' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{{', '}}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter.
+        /// The route parameter name '{0}' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{{', '}}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all, and can occur only at the start of the parameter.
         /// </summary>
         internal static string FormatTemplateRoute_InvalidParameterName(object p0)
         {
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Resources.resx b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Resources.resx
index 364a133d65..7c5e990d81 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Resources.resx
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Resources.resx
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@
     <value>The literal section '{0}' is invalid. Literal sections cannot contain the '?' character.</value>
   </data>
   <data name="TemplateRoute_InvalidParameterName" xml:space="preserve">
-    <value>The route parameter name '{0}' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{{', '}}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter.</value>
+    <value>The route parameter name '{0}' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{{', '}}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all, and can occur only at the start of the parameter.</value>
   </data>
   <data name="TemplateRoute_InvalidRouteTemplate" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>The route template cannot start with a '/' or '~' character.</value>
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Template/TemplateParser.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Template/TemplateParser.cs
index 813b9d545a..48482902df 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Template/TemplateParser.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing/Template/TemplateParser.cs
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template
         private const char CloseBrace = '}';
         private const char EqualsSign = '=';
         private const char QuestionMark = '?';
-        
+        private const char Asterisk = '*';
+
         public static RouteTemplate Parse(string routeTemplate, IInlineConstraintResolver constraintResolver)
         {
             if (routeTemplate == null)
@@ -358,7 +359,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template
             for (var i = 0; i < parameterName.Length; i++)
             {
                 var c = parameterName[i];
-                if (c == Separator || c == OpenBrace || c == CloseBrace || c == QuestionMark)
+                if (c == Separator || c == OpenBrace || c == CloseBrace || c == QuestionMark || c == Asterisk)
                 {
                     context.Error = String.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture,
                                                   Resources.TemplateRoute_InvalidParameterName, parameterName);
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Tests/Template/TemplateParserTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Tests/Template/TemplateParserTests.cs
index 815cfd5132..175b49e32b 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Tests/Template/TemplateParserTests.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Tests/Template/TemplateParserTests.cs
@@ -284,8 +284,31 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template.Tests
         {
             ExceptionAssert.Throws<ArgumentException>(
                 () => TemplateParser.Parse("foo/{*}", _inlineConstraintResolver),
-                "The route parameter name '' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. " + 
-                "The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
+                "The route parameter name '' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot" +
+                " contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional," +
+                " and can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all," +
+                " and can occur only at the start of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
+                "Parameter name: routeTemplate");
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("{**}", "*")]
+        [InlineData("{a*}", "a*")]
+        [InlineData("{*a*}", "a*")]
+        [InlineData("{*a*:int}", "a*")]
+        [InlineData("{*a*=5}", "a*")]
+        [InlineData("{*a*b=5}", "a*b")]
+        public void ParseRouteParameter_ThrowsIf_ParameterContainsAsterisk(string template, string parameterName)
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var expectedMessage = "The route parameter name '" + parameterName + "' is invalid. Route parameter " +
+                "names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. The '?' character " +
+                "marks a parameter as optional, and can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character " +
+                "marks a parameter as catch-all, and can occur only at the start of the parameter.";
+
+            // Act & Assert
+            ExceptionAssert.Throws<ArgumentException>(
+                () => TemplateParser.Parse(template, _inlineConstraintResolver), expectedMessage + Environment.NewLine +
                 "Parameter name: routeTemplate");
         }
 
@@ -339,8 +362,10 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template.Tests
         {
             ExceptionAssert.Throws<ArgumentException>(
                 () => TemplateParser.Parse("{a}/{a{aa}/{z}", _inlineConstraintResolver),
-                "The route parameter name 'a{aa' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. " +
-                "The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
+                "The route parameter name 'a{aa' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot" +
+                " contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and" +
+                " can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all," +
+                " and can occur only at the start of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
                 "Parameter name: routeTemplate");
         }
 
@@ -349,8 +374,10 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template.Tests
         {
             ExceptionAssert.Throws<ArgumentException>(
                 () => TemplateParser.Parse("{a}/{}/{z}", _inlineConstraintResolver),
-                "The route parameter name '' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. " +
-                "The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
+                "The route parameter name '' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot" +
+                " contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and" +
+                " can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all," +
+                " and can occur only at the start of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
                 "Parameter name: routeTemplate");
         }
 
@@ -359,8 +386,10 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template.Tests
         {
             ExceptionAssert.Throws<ArgumentException>(
                 () => TemplateParser.Parse("{Controller}.mvc/{?}", _inlineConstraintResolver),
-                "The route parameter name '' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. " +
-                "The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
+                "The route parameter name '' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot" +
+                " contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and" +
+                " can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all," +
+                " and can occur only at the start of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
                 "Parameter name: routeTemplate");
         }
 
@@ -423,8 +452,10 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Routing.Template.Tests
         {
             ExceptionAssert.Throws<ArgumentException>(
                 () => TemplateParser.Parse("{foor?b}", _inlineConstraintResolver),
-                "The route parameter name 'foor?b' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. " +
-                "The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and can only occur at the end of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
+                "The route parameter name 'foor?b' is invalid. Route parameter names must be non-empty and cannot" +
+                " contain these characters: '{', '}', '/'. The '?' character marks a parameter as optional, and" +
+                " can occur only at the end of the parameter. The '*' character marks a parameter as catch-all," +
+                " and can occur only at the start of the parameter." + Environment.NewLine +
                 "Parameter name: routeTemplate");
         }