diff --git a/manifest/index.go b/manifest/index.go
index 6335a8f..9787f05 100644
--- a/manifest/index.go
+++ b/manifest/index.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ type WixManifest struct {
 	UpgradeCode    string       `json:"upgrade-code"`
 	Files          WixFiles     `json:"files,omitempty"`
 	Directories    []string     `json:"directories,omitempty"`
+	DirNames       []string     `json:"-"`
 	RelDirs        []string     `json:"-"`
 	Env            WixEnvList   `json:"env,omitempty"`
 	Shortcuts      WixShortcuts `json:"shortcuts,omitempty"`
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ func (wixFile *WixManifest) RewriteFilePaths(out string) error {
 		}
 	}
 	for _, d := range wixFile.Directories {
+		wixFile.DirNames = append(wixFile.DirNames, cleanDirectoryName(d))
 		d, err = filepath.Abs(d)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -230,6 +232,14 @@ func (wixFile *WixManifest) RewriteFilePaths(out string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// cleanDirectoryName replaces invalid characters in directory names.
+func cleanDirectoryName(name string) string {
+	to := "-"
+	repl := strings.NewReplacer(
+		`\`, to, "?", to, "|", to, ">", to, "<", to, ":", to, "/", to, "*", to, `"`, to)
+	return repl.Replace(name)
+}
+
 // Normalize Appropriately fixes some values within the decoded json
 // It applies defaults values on the wix/msi property to
 // to generate the msi package.
diff --git a/templates/product.wxs b/templates/product.wxs
index 072454b..5f3f84e 100644
--- a/templates/product.wxs
+++ b/templates/product.wxs
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
                   {{end}}
                </Component>
                {{end}}
-               {{if gt (.Directories | len) 0}}
-               {{range $i, $e := .Directories}}
+               {{if gt (.DirNames | len) 0}}
+               {{range $i, $e := .DirNames}}
                <Directory Id="APPDIR{{$i}}" Name="{{$e}}" />
                {{end}}
                {{end}}