diff --git a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensions.cs b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensions.cs
index 99f6909bdd..c6e981289d 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensions.cs
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public static void UpdateRunSettingsNode(this IRunSettingsProvider runSettingsPr
         /// <returns></returns>
         public static Match GetTestRunParameterNodeMatch(this IRunSettingsProvider runSettingsProvider, string node)
         {
-            var attrName = $"(?<{AttributeNameString}>\\w+)";
+            var attrName = $"(?<{AttributeNameString}>[\\w.:-]+)";
             var attrValue = $"(?<{AttributeValueString}>.+)";
             Regex regex = new Regex($"{Constants.TestRunParametersName}.{ParameterString}\\(name\\s*=\\s*\"{attrName}\"\\s*,\\s*value\\s*=\\s*\"{attrValue}\"\\)");
             Match match = regex.Match(node);
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common.UnitTests/ExtensionFramework/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensionsTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common.UnitTests/ExtensionFramework/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensionsTests.cs
index 82e834be78..ffb741dbed 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common.UnitTests/ExtensionFramework/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensionsTests.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.TestPlatform.Common.UnitTests/ExtensionFramework/Utilities/RunSettingsProviderExtensionsTests.cs
@@ -134,13 +134,7 @@ public void UpdateRunSettingsNodeShouldAddNewKeyIfNotPresent()
         [TestMethod]
         public void UpdateTestRunParameterSettingsNodeShouldAddNewKeyIfNotPresent()
         {
-            var match = this.runSettingsProvider.GetTestRunParameterNodeMatch("TestRunParameters.Parameter(name=\"weburl\",value=\"http://localhost//abc\")");
-            var runSettingsWithTestRunParameters = "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-16\"?>\r\n<RunSettings>\r\n  <TestRunParameters>\r\n    <Parameter name=\"weburl\" value=\"http://localhost//abc\" />\r\n  </TestRunParameters>\r\n</RunSettings>";
-
-            this.runSettingsProvider.UpdateRunSettings("<RunSettings>\r\n  </RunSettings>");
-            this.runSettingsProvider.UpdateTestRunParameterSettingsNode(match);
-
-            Assert.AreEqual(runSettingsWithTestRunParameters, this.runSettingsProvider.ActiveRunSettings.SettingsXml);
+            this.CheckRunSettingsAreUpdated("weburl", @"http://localhost//abc");
         }
 
         [TestMethod]
@@ -156,6 +150,24 @@ public void UpdateTetsRunParameterSettingsNodeShouldOverrideValueIfKeyIsAlreadyP
             Assert.AreEqual(runSettingsWithTestRunParametersOverrode, this.runSettingsProvider.ActiveRunSettings.SettingsXml);
         }
 
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void TestRunParameterSettingsNodeCanContainSpecialCharacters()
+        {
+            this.CheckRunSettingsAreUpdated("weburl:name", @"http://localhost//abc");
+        }
+
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void TestRunParameterSettingsNodeCanBeJustASingleCharacter()
+        {
+            this.CheckRunSettingsAreUpdated("a", @"http://localhost//abc");
+        }
+
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void TestRunParameterSettingsNodeCanMixSpecialCharacters()
+        {
+            this.CheckRunSettingsAreUpdated("___this_Should:be-valid.2", @"http://localhost//abc");
+        }
+
         [TestMethod]
         public void UpdateRunSettingsNodeShouldUpdateKeyIfAlreadyPresent()
         {
@@ -230,6 +242,25 @@ public void QueryRunSettingsNodeShouldReturnCorrectValue()
             Assert.AreEqual("x86", this.runSettingsProvider.QueryRunSettingsNode("RunConfiguration.TargetPlatform"));
         }
 
+        private void CheckRunSettingsAreUpdated(string parameterName, string parameterValue)
+        {
+            var match = this.runSettingsProvider.GetTestRunParameterNodeMatch(
+                $@"TestRunParameters.Parameter(name=""{parameterName}"",value=""{parameterValue}"")");
+            var runSettingsWithTestRunParameters = string.Join(
+                Environment.NewLine,
+                $@"<?xml version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-16""?>",
+                $@"<RunSettings>",
+                $@"  <TestRunParameters>",
+                $@"    <Parameter name=""{parameterName}"" value=""{parameterValue}"" />",
+                $@"  </TestRunParameters>",
+                $@"</RunSettings>");
+
+            this.runSettingsProvider.UpdateRunSettings("<RunSettings>\r\n  </RunSettings>");
+            this.runSettingsProvider.UpdateTestRunParameterSettingsNode(match);
+
+            Assert.AreEqual(runSettingsWithTestRunParameters, this.runSettingsProvider.ActiveRunSettings.SettingsXml);
+        }
+
         private class TestableRunSettingsProvider : IRunSettingsProvider
         {
             public RunSettings ActiveRunSettings