diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9fa9416a468..671f4e937af 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 ### 6.7-SNAPSHOT
 
 #### Bugs
-Fix #5145: [java-generator] handle `additionalProperties: true` emitting a field of type `AnyType`
+* Fix #5145: [java-generator] handle `additionalProperties: true` emitting a field of type `AnyType`
+* Fix #5164: [java-generator] handle more special characters in field names
 
 #### Improvements
 
diff --git a/java-generator/core/src/main/java/io/fabric8/java/generator/nodes/AbstractJSONSchema2Pojo.java b/java-generator/core/src/main/java/io/fabric8/java/generator/nodes/AbstractJSONSchema2Pojo.java
index 7486bfd10a4..09e29cfbcc9 100644
--- a/java-generator/core/src/main/java/io/fabric8/java/generator/nodes/AbstractJSONSchema2Pojo.java
+++ b/java-generator/core/src/main/java/io/fabric8/java/generator/nodes/AbstractJSONSchema2Pojo.java
@@ -131,10 +131,12 @@ public static String sanitizeString(String str) {
       index = sanitized.indexOf('-');
     }
 
-    sanitized = sanitized.replace('.', '_');
-    sanitized = sanitized.replace(' ', '_');
-    sanitized = sanitized.replace('\'', '_');
-    sanitized = sanitized.replace('\"', '_');
+    StringBuilder sanitizedSb = new StringBuilder(sanitized.length());
+    for (char originalChar : sanitized.toCharArray()) {
+      char sanitizedChar = Character.isJavaIdentifierPart(originalChar) ? originalChar : '_';
+      sanitizedSb.append(sanitizedChar);
+    }
+    sanitized = sanitizedSb.toString();
 
     return sanitized;
   }
diff --git a/java-generator/core/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml b/java-generator/core/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml
index 5cab8250e73..a15c273118d 100644
--- a/java-generator/core/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml
+++ b/java-generator/core/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ spec:
                   type: string
                 four"doublequote:
                   type: string
+                five/slash:
+                  type: string
   scope: Namespaced
   names:
     plural: dummies
diff --git a/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/java/io/fabric8/it/dummy/TestEscapeCharacters.java b/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/java/io/fabric8/it/dummy/TestEscapeCharacters.java
index 83db0e0a385..639cca14511 100644
--- a/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/java/io/fabric8/it/dummy/TestEscapeCharacters.java
+++ b/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/java/io/fabric8/it/dummy/TestEscapeCharacters.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ void testDeserialization() {
     assertEquals("2", spec.getTwo_space());
     assertEquals("3", spec.getThree_quote());
     assertEquals("4", spec.getFour_doublequote());
+    assertEquals("5", spec.getFive_slash());
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ void testAgainstSample() throws Exception {
     spec.setTwo_space("2");
     spec.setThree_quote("3");
     spec.setFour_doublequote("4");
+    spec.setFive_slash("5");
     sample.setSpec(spec);
     ObjectMeta om = new ObjectMeta();
     om.setName("sample");
diff --git a/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml b/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml
index 5cab8250e73..a15c273118d 100644
--- a/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml
+++ b/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/dummy-crd.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ spec:
                   type: string
                 four"doublequote:
                   type: string
+                five/slash:
+                  type: string
   scope: Namespaced
   names:
     plural: dummies
diff --git a/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/sample.yaml b/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/sample.yaml
index a53ff65aecd..545e700f2ac 100644
--- a/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/sample.yaml
+++ b/java-generator/it/src/it/escape-characters/src/test/resources/sample.yaml
@@ -24,3 +24,4 @@ spec:
   two space: "2"
   three'quote: "3"
   four"doublequote: "4"
+  five/slash: "5"