diff --git a/ksqldb-api-client/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/impl/ClientImpl.java b/ksqldb-api-client/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/impl/ClientImpl.java
index 91b4a7220195..689baaea8938 100644
--- a/ksqldb-api-client/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/impl/ClientImpl.java
+++ b/ksqldb-api-client/src/main/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/impl/ClientImpl.java
@@ -379,7 +379,12 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> createConnector(
         KSQL_ENDPOINT,
         new JsonObject()
             .put("ksql",
-                String.format("CREATE %s CONNECTOR %s WITH (%s);", type, name, connectorConfigs))
+                String.format(
+                    "CREATE %s CONNECTOR \"%s\" WITH (%s);",
+                    type,
+                    name,
+                    connectorConfigs
+                ))
             .put("sessionVariables", sessionVariables),
         cf,
         response -> handleSingleEntityResponse(
@@ -408,7 +413,7 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> createConnector(
         KSQL_ENDPOINT,
         new JsonObject()
             .put("ksql",
-                String.format("CREATE %s CONNECTOR %s %s WITH (%s);",
+                String.format("CREATE %s CONNECTOR %s \"%s\" WITH (%s);",
                     type, ifNotExistsClause, name, connectorConfigs))
             .put("sessionVariables", sessionVariables),
         cf,
@@ -426,7 +431,7 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> dropConnector(final String name) {
     makePostRequest(
         KSQL_ENDPOINT,
         new JsonObject()
-            .put("ksql", "drop connector " + name + ";")
+            .put("ksql", String.format("drop connector \"%s\";", name))
             .put("sessionVariables", sessionVariables),
         cf,
         response -> handleSingleEntityResponse(
@@ -439,12 +444,12 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> dropConnector(final String name) {
   @Override
   public CompletableFuture<Void> dropConnector(final String name, final boolean ifExists) {
     final CompletableFuture<Void> cf = new CompletableFuture<>();
-    final String ifExistsClause = ifExists ? "if exists " : "";
+    final String ifExistsClause = ifExists ? "if exists" : "";
 
     makePostRequest(
         KSQL_ENDPOINT,
         new JsonObject()
-            .put("ksql", "drop connector " + ifExistsClause + name + ";")
+            .put("ksql", String.format("drop connector %s \"%s\";", ifExistsClause, name))
             .put("sessionVariables", sessionVariables),
         cf,
         response -> handleSingleEntityResponse(
@@ -476,7 +481,7 @@ public CompletableFuture<ConnectorDescription> describeConnector(final String na
     makePostRequest(
         KSQL_ENDPOINT,
         new JsonObject()
-            .put("ksql", "describe connector " + name + ";")
+            .put("ksql", String.format("describe connector \"%s\";", name))
             .put("sessionVariables", sessionVariables),
         cf,
         response -> handleSingleEntityResponse(
diff --git a/ksqldb-api-client/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/ClientTest.java b/ksqldb-api-client/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/ClientTest.java
index 31ea67541620..fe5f67f85d1d 100644
--- a/ksqldb-api-client/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/ClientTest.java
+++ b/ksqldb-api-client/src/test/java/io/confluent/ksql/api/client/ClientTest.java
@@ -1568,6 +1568,7 @@ public void shouldDescribeConnector() throws Exception {
     final io.confluent.ksql.api.client.ConnectorDescription connector = javaClient.describeConnector("name").get();
 
     // Then:
+    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("describe connector \"name\";"));
     assertThat(connector.state(), is("state"));
     assertThat(connector.className(), is("connectorClass"));
     assertThat(connector.type(), is(new ConnectorTypeImpl("SOURCE")));
@@ -1587,7 +1588,7 @@ public void shouldCreateConnector() throws Exception {
     javaClient.createConnector("name", true, Collections.emptyMap()).get();
 
     // Then:
-    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("CREATE SOURCE CONNECTOR name WITH ();"));
+    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("CREATE SOURCE CONNECTOR \"name\" WITH ();"));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -1601,7 +1602,7 @@ public void shouldCreateConnectorIfNotExist() throws Exception {
     javaClient.createConnector("name", true, Collections.emptyMap(), true).get();
 
     // Then:
-    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("CREATE SOURCE CONNECTOR IF NOT EXISTS name WITH ();"));
+    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("CREATE SOURCE CONNECTOR IF NOT EXISTS \"name\" WITH ();"));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -1614,7 +1615,7 @@ public void shouldDropConnector() throws Exception {
     javaClient.dropConnector("name").get();
 
     // Then:
-    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("drop connector name;"));
+    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("drop connector \"name\";"));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -1627,7 +1628,7 @@ public void shouldDropConnectorIfExists() throws Exception {
     javaClient.dropConnector("name", true).get();
 
     // Then:
-    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("drop connector if exists name;"));
+    assertThat(testEndpoints.getLastSql(), is("drop connector if exists \"name\";"));
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -2275,4 +2276,4 @@ public void describeTo(final Description description) {
       }
     };
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}