diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java
index 3af0f30c..a2716e5b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ import org.springframework.web.util.UriUtils;
  */
 public class UriTemplate implements Iterable<TemplateVariable>, Serializable {
 
-	private static final Pattern VARIABLE_REGEX = Pattern.compile("\\{([\\?\\&#/\\.\\+\\;]?)([\\w(\\:\\d+)*%\\,*]+)\\}");
-	private static final Pattern ELEMENT_REGEX = Pattern.compile("([\\w\\%]+)(\\:\\d+)?(\\*)?");
+	private static final Pattern VARIABLE_REGEX = Pattern
+			.compile("\\{([\\?\\&#/\\.\\+\\;]?)([\\w\\.(\\:\\d+)*%\\,*]+)\\}");
+	private static final Pattern ELEMENT_REGEX = Pattern.compile("([\\w\\.\\%]+)(\\:\\d+)?(\\*)?");
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = -1007874653930162262L;
 
 	private final TemplateVariables variables;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplateUnitTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplateUnitTest.java
index 1eae84b6..2a62b686 100755
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplateUnitTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplateUnitTest.java
@@ -382,6 +382,14 @@ class UriTemplateUnitTest {
 				.doesNotThrowAnyException();
 	}
 
+	@Test // #1802
+	void supportsDotsInVariableName() {
+
+		UriTemplate template = UriTemplate.of("/path/{foo.bar}");
+
+		assertThat(template.getVariableNames()).contains("foo.bar");
+	}
+
 	private static void assertVariables(UriTemplate template, TemplateVariable... variables) {
 		assertVariables(template, Arrays.asList(variables));
 	}