diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5ff3793..c8957dd 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@ def read(file_path):
 setup(
   name = 'shexer',
   packages = find_packages(exclude=["*.local_code.*"]), # this must be the same as the name above
-  version = '2.5.2',
+  version = '2.5.3',
   description = 'Automatic schema extraction for RDF graphs',
   author = 'Daniel Fernandez-Alvarez',
   author_email = 'danifdezalvarez@gmail.com',
   url = 'https://github.com/DaniFdezAlvarez/shexer',
-  download_url = 'https://github.com/DaniFdezAlvarez/shexer/archive/2.5.2.tar.gz',
+  download_url = 'https://github.com/DaniFdezAlvarez/shexer/archive/2.5.3.tar.gz',
   keywords = ['testing', 'shexer', 'shexerp3', "rdf", "shex", "shacl", "schema"],
   long_description = read('README.md'),
   long_description_content_type='text/markdown',
diff --git a/shexer/io/uml/uml_serializer.py b/shexer/io/uml/uml_serializer.py
index 68e73b7..dea1a43 100644
--- a/shexer/io/uml/uml_serializer.py
+++ b/shexer/io/uml/uml_serializer.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def _is_a_shape_link(self, statement):
     def _declare_and_open_shape(self, a_shape):
         target_name = prefixize_shape_name_if_possible(a_shape_name=a_shape.name,
                                                        namespaces_prefix_dict=self._namespaces_dict)
-        if target_name.startswith(":") or target_name.startswith("<") :
+        if ":" in target_name or "-" in target_name or target_name.startswith("<") :
             self._declare_shape_with_alias(target_name)
         else:
             self._declare_shape_without_alias(target_name)
@@ -119,9 +119,11 @@ def _declare_shape_without_alias(self, target_name):
         self._write_line(f"object {target_name} {{")
 
     def _declare_shape_with_alias(self, target_name):
-        if target_name.startswith(":"):
-            alias = target_name[1:]
-        else:
+        alias = target_name
+        alias = alias.replace(":", "_")
+        alias = alias.replace("-", "_")
+
+        if alias.startswith("<"):
             alias = target_name[1:-1]
         self._shape_alias[target_name] = alias
         self._write_line(f'object "{target_name}" as {alias} {{')