diff --git a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
index 9c6272188..5f0066ac5 100644
--- a/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
+++ b/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include "spdk_internal/bdev.h"
 #include "spdk_internal/log.h"
+#include "spdk_internal/utf.h"
 
 #include <uuid/uuid.h>
 
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ spdk_nvmf_valid_nqn(const char *nqn)
 	size_t len;
 	uuid_t uuid_value;
 	uint i;
+	int bytes_consumed;
 	uint domain_label_length;
 	char *reverse_domain_end;
 	uint reverse_domain_end_index;
@@ -198,6 +200,17 @@ spdk_nvmf_valid_nqn(const char *nqn)
 		}
 		}
 	}
+
+	i = reverse_domain_end_index + 1;
+	while (i < len) {
+		bytes_consumed = utf8_valid(&nqn[i], &nqn[len]);
+		if (bytes_consumed <= 0) {
+			SPDK_ERRLOG("Invalid domain name in NQN \"%s\". Label names must contain only valid utf-8.\n", nqn);
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		i += bytes_consumed;
+	}
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
index 7d0b898c6..67c9fae29 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvmf/subsystem.c/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -323,6 +323,18 @@ nvmf_test_create_subsystem(void)
 	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(subsystem->subnqn, nqn);
 	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_destroy(subsystem);
 
+	/* Invalid name user string contains an invalid utf-8 character */
+	strncpy(nqn, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:\xFFsubsystem1", sizeof(nqn));
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_create(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem == NULL);
+
+	/* Valid name with non-ascii but valid utf-8 characters */
+	strncpy(nqn, "nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:\xe1\x8a\x88subsystem1\xca\x80", sizeof(nqn));
+	subsystem = spdk_nvmf_subsystem_create(&tgt, nqn, SPDK_NVMF_SUBTYPE_NVME, 0);
+	SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(subsystem != NULL);
+	CU_ASSERT_STRING_EQUAL(subsystem->subnqn, nqn);
+	spdk_nvmf_subsystem_destroy(subsystem);
+
 	/* Invalid uuid (too long) */
 	strncpy(nqn, "nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:11111111-aaaa-bbdd-FFEE-123456789abcdef",
 		sizeof(nqn));