diff --git a/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/lib.rs b/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/lib.rs
index 773c60b109..079ee71950 100644
--- a/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/lib.rs
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ pub mod constants;
 pub mod infinyon_tok;
 
 pub use errors::{Result, HubError};
-pub use package_meta::{PackageMeta, PkgTag, PkgVisibility, validate_noleading_punct};
+pub use package_meta::{PackageMeta, PkgTag, PkgVisibility};
+pub use package_meta::{validate_allowedchars, validate_noleading_punct};
diff --git a/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/package_meta.rs b/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/package_meta.rs
index a2052c50f0..dbe60b098f 100644
--- a/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/package_meta.rs
+++ b/crates/fluvio-hub-protocol/src/package_meta.rs
@@ -236,10 +236,10 @@ pub fn validate_lowercase(val: &str, name: &str) -> String {
 pub fn validate_allowedchars(val: &str, name: &str) -> String {
     let good_chars = val
         .chars()
-        .all(|ch| matches!(ch, 'a'..='z' | '0'..='9' | '-' | '_'));
+        .all(|ch| matches!(ch, 'a'..='z' | '0'..='9' | ':' | '-' | '_'));
 
     if !good_chars {
-        format!("{name} {val} should be alphanumeric, '-' or '_'\n")
+        format!("{name} {val} should be alphanumeric, ':', '-' or '_'\n")
     } else {
         String::new()
     }
diff --git a/crates/fluvio-hub-util/src/package_meta_ext.rs b/crates/fluvio-hub-util/src/package_meta_ext.rs
index f6482639f0..38934a0c23 100644
--- a/crates/fluvio-hub-util/src/package_meta_ext.rs
+++ b/crates/fluvio-hub-util/src/package_meta_ext.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use tracing::debug;
 
 use fluvio_hub_protocol::{PackageMeta, HubError};
 use fluvio_hub_protocol::constants::HUB_PACKAGE_META;
+use fluvio_hub_protocol::validate_allowedchars;
 
 use crate::package_get_topfile;
 
@@ -85,18 +86,6 @@ pub fn validate_lowercase(val: &str, name: &str) -> String {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn validate_allowedchars(val: &str, name: &str) -> String {
-    let good_chars = val
-        .chars()
-        .all(|ch| matches!(ch, 'a'..='z' | '0'..='9' | '-' | '_'));
-
-    if !good_chars {
-        format!("{name} {val} should be alphanumeric, '-' or '_'\n")
-    } else {
-        String::new()
-    }
-}
-
 /// certain output files are transformed in name vs their package name
 /// eg. a cargo package named example-smartmodule generates
 /// a release file of example_smartmodule.wasm