diff --git a/apisix/core/utils.lua b/apisix/core/utils.lua
index d85f7bb42db1..9e8fc1e02e46 100644
--- a/apisix/core/utils.lua
+++ b/apisix/core/utils.lua
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ local math     = math
 local sub_str  = string.sub
 local str_byte = string.byte
 local tonumber = tonumber
+local type     = type
 local C        = ffi.C
 local ffi_string = ffi.string
 local get_string_buf = base.get_string_buf
@@ -165,4 +166,32 @@ function _M.uri_safe_encode(uri)
 end
 
 
+function _M.validate_header_field(field)
+    for i = 1, #field do
+        local b = str_byte(field, i, i)
+        -- '!' - '~', excluding ':'
+        if not (32 < b and b < 127) or b == 58 then
+            return false
+        end
+    end
+    return true
+end
+
+
+function _M.validate_header_value(value)
+    if type(value) ~= "string" then
+        return true
+    end
+
+    for i = 1, #value do
+        local b = str_byte(value, i, i)
+        -- control characters
+        if b < 32 or b >= 127 then
+            return false
+        end
+    end
+    return true
+end
+
+
 return _M
diff --git a/apisix/plugins/proxy-rewrite.lua b/apisix/plugins/proxy-rewrite.lua
index b65384d88b7c..5fc4906d3a11 100644
--- a/apisix/plugins/proxy-rewrite.lua
+++ b/apisix/plugins/proxy-rewrite.lua
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ function _M.check_schema(conf)
                 if #field == 0 then
                     return false, 'invalid field length in header'
                 end
+                if not core.utils.validate_header_field(field) then
+                    return false, 'invalid field character in header'
+                end
+                if not core.utils.validate_header_value(value) then
+                    return false, 'invalid value character in header'
+                end
                 core.table.insert(conf.headers_arr, field)
                 core.table.insert(conf.headers_arr, value)
             else
diff --git a/t/plugin/proxy-rewrite.t b/t/plugin/proxy-rewrite.t
index 35f4176d28c3..a5752e0a2f3f 100644
--- a/t/plugin/proxy-rewrite.t
+++ b/t/plugin/proxy-rewrite.t
@@ -915,3 +915,87 @@ GET /t
 property "uri" validation failed: failed to match pattern "^\\/.*" with "home"
 --- no_error_log
 [error]
+
+
+
+=== TEST 32: set route(invalid header field)
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 [[{
+                        "plugins": {
+                            "proxy-rewrite": {
+                                "uri": "/uri/plugin_proxy_rewrite",
+                                "headers": {
+                                    "X-Api:Version": "v2"
+                                }
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "upstream": {
+                            "nodes": {
+                                "127.0.0.1:1980": 1
+                            },
+                            "type": "roundrobin"
+                        },
+                        "uri": "/hello"
+                }]]
+                )
+
+            if code >= 300 then
+                ngx.status = code
+            end
+            ngx.say(body)
+        }
+    }
+--- request
+GET /t
+--- error_code: 400
+--- response_body eval
+qr/invalid field character/
+--- no_error_log
+[error]
+
+
+
+=== TEST 33: set route(invalid header value)
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                 ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                 [[{
+                        "plugins": {
+                            "proxy-rewrite": {
+                                "uri": "/uri/plugin_proxy_rewrite",
+                                "headers": {
+                                    "X-Api-Version": "v2\r\n"
+                                }
+                            }
+                        },
+                        "upstream": {
+                            "nodes": {
+                                "127.0.0.1:1980": 1
+                            },
+                            "type": "roundrobin"
+                        },
+                        "uri": "/hello"
+                }]]
+                )
+
+            if code >= 300 then
+                ngx.status = code
+            end
+            ngx.say(body)
+        }
+    }
+--- request
+GET /t
+--- error_code: 400
+--- response_body eval
+qr/invalid value character/
+--- no_error_log
+[error]