diff --git a/internal/alias/target/repository_alias.go b/internal/alias/target/repository_alias.go
index 67f7a9fe07..d044f33b2c 100644
--- a/internal/alias/target/repository_alias.go
+++ b/internal/alias/target/repository_alias.go
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ func (r *Repository) CreateAlias(ctx context.Context, a *Alias, opt ...Option) (
 		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), `violates foreign key constraint "target_fkey"`) {
 			return nil, errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op, errors.WithCode(errors.NotFound), errors.WithMsg("target with specified destination id %q was not found", a.GetDestinationId()))
 		}
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), `wt_target_alias_value_shape`) {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op, errors.WithMsg(fmt.Sprintf("alias value %q contains invalid characters", a.Value)))
+		}
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op)
 	}
 	return newAlias, nil
@@ -181,6 +184,9 @@ func (r *Repository) UpdateAlias(ctx context.Context, a *Alias, version uint32,
 		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), `violates foreign key constraint "target_fkey"`) {
 			return nil, db.NoRowsAffected, errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op, errors.WithCode(errors.NotFound), errors.WithMsg("target with specified destination id %q was not found", a.GetDestinationId()))
 		}
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), `wt_target_alias_value_shape`) {
+			return nil, db.NoRowsAffected, errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op, errors.WithMsg("alias value contains invalid characters"))
+		}
 		return nil, db.NoRowsAffected, errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/alias/target/repository_alias_test.go b/internal/alias/target/repository_alias_test.go
index be3ca93d68..a4e68b55ff 100644
--- a/internal/alias/target/repository_alias_test.go
+++ b/internal/alias/target/repository_alias_test.go
@@ -75,6 +75,16 @@ func TestRepository_CreateAlias(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			errContains: "public id not empty",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid-alias-value",
+			in: &target.Alias{
+				Alias: &store.Alias{
+					ScopeId: "global",
+					Value:   "invalid_alias",
+				},
+			},
+			errContains: "contains invalid characters",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "valid-with-value",
 			in: &target.Alias{
@@ -748,6 +758,17 @@ func TestRepository_UpdateAlias(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Nil(t, got2)
 		assert.Equal(t, db.NoRowsAffected, gotCount2, "row count")
 	})
+
+	t.Run("invalid-alias", func(t *testing.T) {
+		value := "invalid_alais"
+		c1 := target.TestAlias(t, db.New(conn), "test")
+		c1.Value = value
+		got1, gotCount1, err := repo.UpdateAlias(context.Background(), c1, 1, []string{"value"})
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "contains invalid characters")
+		assert.Nil(t, got1)
+		assert.Equal(t, db.NoRowsAffected, gotCount1, "row count")
+	})
 }
 
 func TestRepository_LookupAlias(t *testing.T) {