diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/Internal/PathHelpers.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/Internal/PathHelpers.cs
index d46314c148..f0afedb60e 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/Internal/PathHelpers.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/Internal/PathHelpers.cs
@@ -2,23 +2,24 @@
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
 
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch.Exceptions;
+using System;
 
 namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch.Internal
 {
     internal static class PathHelpers
     {
-        internal static string NormalizePath(string path)
+        internal static string ValidateAndNormalizePath(string path)
         {
             // check for most common path errors on create.  This is not
             // absolutely necessary, but it allows us to already catch mistakes
             // on creation of the patch document rather than on execute.
 
-            if (path.Contains("//") || path.Contains(" ") || path.Contains("\\"))
+            if (path.Contains("//"))
             {
                 throw new JsonPatchException(Resources.FormatInvalidValueForPath(path), null); 
             }
 
-            if (!(path.StartsWith("/")))
+            if (!path.StartsWith("/", StringComparison.Ordinal))
             {
                 return "/" + path;
             }
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/JsonPatchDocument.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/JsonPatchDocument.cs
index 4420e576bf..b6539caae8 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/JsonPatchDocument.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch/JsonPatchDocument.cs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
             }
 
-            Operations.Add(new Operation("add", PathHelpers.NormalizePath(path), null, value));
+            Operations.Add(new Operation("add", PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(path), null, value));
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
             }
 
-            Operations.Add(new Operation("remove", PathHelpers.NormalizePath(path), null, null));
+            Operations.Add(new Operation("remove", PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(path), null, null));
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
             }
 
-            Operations.Add(new Operation("replace", PathHelpers.NormalizePath(path), null, value));
+            Operations.Add(new Operation("replace", PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(path), null, value));
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
             }
 
-            Operations.Add(new Operation("test", PathHelpers.NormalizePath(path), null, value));
+            Operations.Add(new Operation("test", PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(path), null, value));
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
             }
 
-            Operations.Add(new Operation("move", PathHelpers.NormalizePath(path), PathHelpers.NormalizePath(from)));
+            Operations.Add(new Operation("move", PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(path), PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(from)));
             return this;
         }
 
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(path));
             }
 
-            Operations.Add(new Operation("copy", PathHelpers.NormalizePath(path), PathHelpers.NormalizePath(from)));
+            Operations.Add(new Operation("copy", PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(path), PathHelpers.ValidateAndNormalizePath(from)));
             return this;
         }
 
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch.Test/JsonPatchDocumentJsonPropertyAttributeTest.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch.Test/JsonPatchDocumentJsonPropertyAttributeTest.cs
index f5d6377989..a9c3d8500b 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch.Test/JsonPatchDocumentJsonPropertyAttributeTest.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch.Test/JsonPatchDocumentJsonPropertyAttributeTest.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,23 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
             Assert.Equal("/AnotherName", pathToCheck);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void Add_RespectsJsonPropertyAttribute_WithDotWhitespaceAndBackslashInName()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var obj = new JsonPropertyObjectWithStrangeNames();
+            var patchDocument = new JsonPatchDocument();
+
+            // Act
+            patchDocument.Add("/First Name.", "John");
+            patchDocument.Add("Last\\Name", "Doe");
+            patchDocument.ApplyTo(obj);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Equal("John", obj.FirstName);
+            Assert.Equal("Doe", obj.LastName);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void Move_FallsbackToPropertyName_WhenJsonPropertyAttributeName_IsEmpty()
         {
@@ -46,6 +63,15 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.JsonPatch
             public string Name { get; set; }
         }
 
+        private class JsonPropertyObjectWithStrangeNames
+        {
+            [JsonProperty("First Name.")]
+            public string FirstName { get; set; }
+
+            [JsonProperty("Last\\Name")]
+            public string LastName { get; set; }
+        }
+
         private class JsonPropertyWithNoPropertyName
         {
             [JsonProperty]