diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/create_proxy.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/create_proxy.js
index a0e7a2599dc1..d1ad422b5c67 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/create_proxy.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/create_proxy.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function createProxy(server) {
     handler(req, h) {
       const { query, payload: body } = req;
       return callWithRequest(req, 'transport.request', {
-        path: `/${req.params.index}/_search`,
+        path: `/${encodeURIComponent(req.params.index)}/_search`,
         method: 'POST',
         query,
         body
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/__jest__/__snapshots__/status_message.test.js.snap b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/__jest__/__snapshots__/status_message.test.js.snap
index 0cdb384b3af2..748eb2d0b968 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/__jest__/__snapshots__/status_message.test.js.snap
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/__jest__/__snapshots__/status_message.test.js.snap
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 exports[`StatusMessage should render with exact matches 1`] = `
 <EuiText
+  data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage"
   grow={true}
   size="s"
 >
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ exports[`StatusMessage should render with exact matches 1`] = `
 
 exports[`StatusMessage should render with no partial matches 1`] = `
 <EuiText
+  data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage"
   grow={true}
   size="s"
 >
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ exports[`StatusMessage should render with no partial matches 1`] = `
 
 exports[`StatusMessage should render with partial matches 1`] = `
 <EuiText
+  data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage"
   grow={true}
   size="s"
 >
@@ -118,6 +121,7 @@ exports[`StatusMessage should render with partial matches 1`] = `
 
 exports[`StatusMessage should render without a query 1`] = `
 <EuiText
+  data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage"
   grow={true}
   size="s"
 >
@@ -145,6 +149,7 @@ exports[`StatusMessage should render without a query 1`] = `
 
 exports[`StatusMessage should show that no indices exist 1`] = `
 <EuiText
+  data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage"
   grow={true}
   size="s"
 >
@@ -165,6 +170,7 @@ exports[`StatusMessage should show that no indices exist 1`] = `
 
 exports[`StatusMessage should show that system indices exist 1`] = `
 <EuiText
+  data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage"
   grow={true}
   size="s"
 >
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/status_message.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/status_message.js
index 772d7ec900ec..035d28bb126a 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/status_message.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/kibana/public/management/sections/index_patterns/create_index_pattern_wizard/components/step_index_pattern/components/status_message/status_message.js
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export const StatusMessage = ({
   }
 
   return (
-    <EuiText size="s">
+    <EuiText size="s" data-test-subj="createIndexPatternStatusMessage">
       <EuiTextColor color={statusColor}>
         { statusIcon ? <EuiIcon type={statusIcon}/> : null }
         {statusMessage}
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/management/_index_pattern_create_delete.js b/test/functional/apps/management/_index_pattern_create_delete.js
index 002936f060bb..102f38d091b3 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/management/_index_pattern_create_delete.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/management/_index_pattern_create_delete.js
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
   const browser = getService('browser');
   const log = getService('log');
   const retry = getService('retry');
-  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['settings', 'common']);
+  const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
+  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['settings', 'common', 'header']);
 
   describe('creating and deleting default index', function describeIndexTests() {
     before(function () {
@@ -38,6 +39,28 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         });
     });
 
+    describe('special character handling', () => {
+      it('should handle special charaters in template input', async () => {
+        await PageObjects.settings.clickOptionalAddNewButton();
+        await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+        await PageObjects.settings.setIndexPatternField({
+          indexPatternName: '❤️',
+          expectWildcard: false
+        });
+        await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+
+        await retry.try(async () => {
+          expect(await testSubjects.getVisibleText('createIndexPatternStatusMessage'))
+            .to.contain(`The index pattern you've entered doesn't match any indices`);
+        });
+      });
+
+      after(async () => {
+        await PageObjects.settings.navigateTo();
+        await PageObjects.settings.clickKibanaIndices();
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('index pattern creation', function indexPatternCreation() {
       let indexPatternId;
 
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js
index c49a133bd3ab..bf76eb0eb199 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ export function SettingsPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         await this.clickOptionalAddNewButton();
         await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
         await retry.try(async () => {
-          await this.setIndexPatternField(indexPatternName);
+          await this.setIndexPatternField({ indexPatternName });
         });
         await PageObjects.common.sleep(2000);
         await (await this.getCreateIndexPatternGoToStep2Button()).click();
@@ -317,14 +317,14 @@ export function SettingsPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       return indexPatternId;
     }
 
-    async setIndexPatternField(indexPatternName = 'logstash-') {
+    async setIndexPatternField({ indexPatternName = 'logstash-', expectWildcard = true } = {}) {
       log.debug(`setIndexPatternField(${indexPatternName})`);
       const field = await this.getIndexPatternField();
       await field.clearValue();
       await field.type(indexPatternName);
       const currentName = await field.getAttribute('value');
       log.debug(`setIndexPatternField set to ${currentName}`);
-      expect(currentName).to.eql(`${indexPatternName}*`);
+      expect(currentName).to.eql(`${indexPatternName}${expectWildcard ? '*' : ''}`);
     }
 
     async getCreateIndexPatternGoToStep2Button() {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/index/register_get_affected_route.js b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/index/register_get_affected_route.js
index ed5b6b09db16..2de097541db2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/index/register_get_affected_route.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/index/register_get_affected_route.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ async function getAffectedIndices(
   }
   const indexParams = {
     method: 'GET',
-    path: `/${indexPatterns.join(',')}`,
+    path: `/${encodeURIComponent(indexPatterns.join(','))}`,
     // we allow 404 in case there are no indices
     ignore: [404]
   };
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_add_policy_route.js b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_add_policy_route.js
index ba6d42e72002..d4197b20abb7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_add_policy_route.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_add_policy_route.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ async function updateIndexTemplate(callWithRequest, indexTemplatePatch) {
 
   const params = {
     method: 'PUT',
-    path: `/_template/${indexTemplatePatch.templateName}`,
+    path: `/_template/${encodeURIComponent(indexTemplatePatch.templateName)}`,
     ignore: [ 404 ],
     body: template,
   };
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ export function registerAddPolicyRoute(server) {
       pre: [ licensePreRouting ]
     }
   });
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_get_route.js b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_get_route.js
index ad24160fe798..4b234571208d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_get_route.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/server/routes/api/templates/register_get_route.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { licensePreRoutingFactory } from'../../../lib/license_pre_routing_factor
 async function fetchTemplate(callWithRequest, templateName) {
   const params = {
     method: 'GET',
-    path: `/_template/${templateName}`,
+    path: `/_template/${encodeURIComponent(templateName)}`,
     // we allow 404 incase the user shutdown security in-between the check and now
     ignore: [ 404 ]
   };