diff --git a/spring-data-rest-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/Path.java b/spring-data-rest-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/Path.java
index 302a42bfa..723cbc437 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/Path.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/Path.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2013-2014 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.rest.core;
 
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
@@ -49,8 +51,14 @@ public class Path {
 		this.path = cleanUp ? cleanUp(path) : path;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns whether the given reference String matches the current {@link Path}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param reference
+	 * @return
+	 */
 	public boolean matches(String reference) {
-		return this.path.matches(String.format(MATCH_PATTERN, reference));
+		return reference == null ? false : this.path.matches(String.format(MATCH_PATTERN, Pattern.quote(reference)));
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/PathUnitTests.java b/spring-data-rest-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/PathUnitTests.java
index f6ca513fc..1d02f4262 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/PathUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/core/PathUnitTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2013-2014 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -67,4 +67,20 @@ public class PathUnitTests {
 	public void doesNotPrefixAbsoluteUris() {
 		assertThat(new Path("http://localhost").toString(), is("http://localhost"));
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREST-222
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void doesNotMatchIfReferenceContainsReservedCharacters() {
+		assertThat(new Path("/foobar").matches("barfoo{?foo}"), is(false));
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @see DATAREST-222
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void doesNotMatchNullReference() {
+		assertThat(new Path("/foobar").matches(null), is(false));
+	}
 }