diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/AggregatorParsers.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/AggregatorParsers.java
index 50d579492d17c..8556c7733804d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/AggregatorParsers.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/AggregatorParsers.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
  */
 public class AggregatorParsers {
 
-    public static final Pattern VALID_AGG_NAME = Pattern.compile("[a-zA-Z0-9\\-_]+");
+    public static final Pattern VALID_AGG_NAME = Pattern.compile("[^\\[\\]>]+");
     private final ImmutableMap<String, Aggregator.Parser> parsers;
 
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/OrderPath.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/OrderPath.java
index eea4482df8401..29a2abfe8d7cb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/OrderPath.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/OrderPath.java
@@ -71,27 +71,43 @@ public static OrderPath parse(String path) {
         String[] tuple = new String[2];
         for (int i = 0; i < elements.length; i++) {
             String element = elements[i];
-            int index = element.lastIndexOf('.');
-            if (index >=  0) {
+            if (i == elements.length - 1) {
+                int index = element.lastIndexOf('[');
+                if (index >= 0) {
+                    if (index == 0 || index > element.length() - 3) {
+                        throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
+                    }
+                    if (element.charAt(element.length() - 1) != ']') {
+                        throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
+                    }
+                    tokens[i] = new Token(element, element.substring(0, index), element.substring(index + 1, element.length() - 1));
+                    continue;
+                }
+                index = element.lastIndexOf('.');
+                if (index < 0) {
+                    tokens[i] = new Token(element, element, null);
+                    continue;
+                }
                 if (index == 0 || index > element.length() - 2) {
                     throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
                 }
                 tuple = split(element, index, tuple);
                 tokens[i] = new Token(element, tuple[0], tuple[1]);
-                continue;
-            }
-            index = element.lastIndexOf('[');
-            if (index < 0) {
+
+            } else {
+                int index = element.lastIndexOf('[');
+                if (index >= 0) {
+                    if (index == 0 || index > element.length() - 3) {
+                        throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
+                    }
+                    if (element.charAt(element.length() - 1) != ']') {
+                        throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
+                    }
+                    tokens[i] = new Token(element, element.substring(0, index), element.substring(index + 1, element.length() - 1));
+                    continue;
+                }
                 tokens[i] = new Token(element, element, null);
-                continue;
-            }
-            if (index == 0 || index > element.length() - 3) {
-                throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
-            }
-            if (element.charAt(element.length() - 1) != ']') {
-                throw new AggregationExecutionException("Invalid path element [" + element + "] in path [" + path + "]");
             }
-            tokens[i] = new Token(element, element.substring(0, index), element.substring(index + 1, element.length() - 1));
         }
         return new OrderPath(tokens);
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/ParsingTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/ParsingTests.java
index 1d3044700a407..9007611aa978c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/ParsingTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/ParsingTests.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public void testTwoAggs() throws Exception {
     @Test(expected=SearchPhaseExecutionException.class)
     public void testInvalidAggregationName() throws Exception {
 
-        Matcher matcher = Pattern.compile("[a-zA-Z0-9\\-_]+").matcher("");
+        Matcher matcher = Pattern.compile("[^\\[\\]>]+").matcher("");
         String name;
         SecureRandom rand = new SecureRandom();
         int len = randomIntBetween(1, 5);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/StringTermsTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/StringTermsTests.java
index d4cda692ff35e..6c03dc9a1a3f4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/StringTermsTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/StringTermsTests.java
@@ -984,6 +984,130 @@ public void singleValuedField_OrderedBySubAggregationAsc_MultiHierarchyLevels()
         assertThat(stats.getMax(), equalTo(asc ? 4.0 : 2.0));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void singleValuedField_OrderedBySubAggregationAsc_MultiHierarchyLevels_specialChars() throws Exception {
+        StringBuilder filter2NameBuilder = new StringBuilder("filt.er2");
+        filter2NameBuilder.append(randomAsciiOfLengthBetween(3, 10).replace("[", "").replace("]", "").replace(">", ""));
+        String filter2Name = filter2NameBuilder.toString();
+        StringBuilder statsNameBuilder = new StringBuilder("st.ats");
+        statsNameBuilder.append(randomAsciiOfLengthBetween(3, 10).replace("[", "").replace("]", "").replace(">", ""));
+        String statsName = statsNameBuilder.toString();
+        boolean asc = randomBoolean();
+        SearchResponse response = client().prepareSearch("idx").setTypes("type")
+                .addAggregation(terms("tags")
+                        .executionHint(randomExecutionHint())
+                        .field("tag")
+                        .collectMode(randomFrom(SubAggCollectionMode.values()))
+                        .order(Terms.Order.aggregation("filter1>" + filter2Name + ">" + statsName + ".max", asc))
+                        .subAggregation(filter("filter1").filter(FilterBuilders.matchAllFilter())
+                                .subAggregation(filter(filter2Name).filter(FilterBuilders.matchAllFilter())
+                                        .subAggregation(stats(statsName).field("i"))))
+                ).execute().actionGet();
+
+
+        assertSearchResponse(response);
+
+        Terms tags = response.getAggregations().get("tags");
+        assertThat(tags, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(tags.getName(), equalTo("tags"));
+        assertThat(tags.getBuckets().size(), equalTo(2));
+
+        Iterator<Terms.Bucket> iters = tags.getBuckets().iterator();
+
+        // the max for "more" is 2
+        // the max for "less" is 4
+
+        Terms.Bucket tag = iters.next();
+        assertThat(tag, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(key(tag), equalTo(asc ? "more" : "less"));
+        assertThat(tag.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 3l : 2l));
+        Filter filter1 = tag.getAggregations().get("filter1");
+        assertThat(filter1, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter1.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 3l : 2l));
+        Filter filter2 = filter1.getAggregations().get(filter2Name);
+        assertThat(filter2, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter2.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 3l : 2l));
+        Stats stats = filter2.getAggregations().get(statsName);
+        assertThat(stats, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(stats.getMax(), equalTo(asc ? 2.0 : 4.0));
+
+        tag = iters.next();
+        assertThat(tag, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(key(tag), equalTo(asc ? "less" : "more"));
+        assertThat(tag.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 2l : 3l));
+        filter1 = tag.getAggregations().get("filter1");
+        assertThat(filter1, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter1.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 2l : 3l));
+        filter2 = filter1.getAggregations().get(filter2Name);
+        assertThat(filter2, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter2.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 2l : 3l));
+        stats = filter2.getAggregations().get(statsName);
+        assertThat(stats, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(stats.getMax(), equalTo(asc ? 4.0 : 2.0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void singleValuedField_OrderedBySubAggregationAsc_MultiHierarchyLevels_specialCharsNoDotNotation() throws Exception {
+        StringBuilder filter2NameBuilder = new StringBuilder("filt.er2");
+        filter2NameBuilder.append(randomAsciiOfLengthBetween(3, 10).replace("[", "").replace("]", "").replace(">", ""));
+        String filter2Name = filter2NameBuilder.toString();
+        StringBuilder statsNameBuilder = new StringBuilder("st.ats");
+        statsNameBuilder.append(randomAsciiOfLengthBetween(3, 10).replace("[", "").replace("]", "").replace(">", ""));
+        String statsName = statsNameBuilder.toString();
+        boolean asc = randomBoolean();
+        SearchResponse response = client().prepareSearch("idx").setTypes("type")
+                .addAggregation(terms("tags")
+                        .executionHint(randomExecutionHint())
+                        .field("tag")
+                        .collectMode(randomFrom(SubAggCollectionMode.values()))
+                        .order(Terms.Order.aggregation("filter1>" + filter2Name + ">" + statsName + "[max]", asc))
+                        .subAggregation(filter("filter1").filter(FilterBuilders.matchAllFilter())
+                                .subAggregation(filter(filter2Name).filter(FilterBuilders.matchAllFilter())
+                                        .subAggregation(stats(statsName).field("i"))))
+                ).execute().actionGet();
+
+
+        assertSearchResponse(response);
+
+        Terms tags = response.getAggregations().get("tags");
+        assertThat(tags, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(tags.getName(), equalTo("tags"));
+        assertThat(tags.getBuckets().size(), equalTo(2));
+
+        Iterator<Terms.Bucket> iters = tags.getBuckets().iterator();
+
+        // the max for "more" is 2
+        // the max for "less" is 4
+
+        Terms.Bucket tag = iters.next();
+        assertThat(tag, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(key(tag), equalTo(asc ? "more" : "less"));
+        assertThat(tag.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 3l : 2l));
+        Filter filter1 = tag.getAggregations().get("filter1");
+        assertThat(filter1, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter1.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 3l : 2l));
+        Filter filter2 = filter1.getAggregations().get(filter2Name);
+        assertThat(filter2, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter2.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 3l : 2l));
+        Stats stats = filter2.getAggregations().get(statsName);
+        assertThat(stats, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(stats.getMax(), equalTo(asc ? 2.0 : 4.0));
+
+        tag = iters.next();
+        assertThat(tag, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(key(tag), equalTo(asc ? "less" : "more"));
+        assertThat(tag.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 2l : 3l));
+        filter1 = tag.getAggregations().get("filter1");
+        assertThat(filter1, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter1.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 2l : 3l));
+        filter2 = filter1.getAggregations().get(filter2Name);
+        assertThat(filter2, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(filter2.getDocCount(), equalTo(asc ? 2l : 3l));
+        stats = filter2.getAggregations().get(statsName);
+        assertThat(stats, notNullValue());
+        assertThat(stats.getMax(), equalTo(asc ? 4.0 : 2.0));
+    }
+
 
     @Test
     public void singleValuedField_OrderedByMissingSubAggregation() throws Exception {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/PathTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/PathTests.java
index 26b485bc1f734..cc41e04c3b20f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/PathTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/support/PathTests.java
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
-import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -54,8 +52,8 @@ public void testValidPaths() throws Exception {
         assertValidPath("foo[bar]>baz", tokens().add("foo", "bar").add("baz"));
         assertValidPath("foo[bar]>baz[qux]", tokens().add("foo", "bar").add("baz", "qux"));
         assertValidPath("foo[bar]>baz.qux", tokens().add("foo", "bar").add("baz", "qux"));
-        assertValidPath("foo.bar>baz.qux", tokens().add("foo", "bar").add("baz", "qux"));
-        assertValidPath("foo.bar>baz[qux]", tokens().add("foo", "bar").add("baz", "qux"));
+        assertValidPath("foo.bar>baz.qux", tokens().add("foo.bar").add("baz", "qux"));
+        assertValidPath("foo.bar>baz[qux]", tokens().add("foo.bar").add("baz", "qux"));
     }
 
     private void assertInvalidPath(String path, String reason) {