diff --git a/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/builder.rs b/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/builder.rs
index 78f37010..46638aab 100644
--- a/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/builder.rs
+++ b/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/builder.rs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ impl PrometheusBuilder {
     /// It only affects matching metrics if set_buckets was not used.
     pub fn set_buckets_for_metric(mut self, matcher: Matcher, values: &[f64]) -> Self {
         let buckets = self.bucket_overrides.get_or_insert_with(HashMap::new);
-        buckets.insert(matcher, values.to_vec());
+        buckets.insert(matcher.sanitized(), values.to_vec());
         self
     }
 
@@ -349,27 +349,27 @@ mod tests {
 
         let recorder = PrometheusBuilder::new()
             .set_buckets_for_metric(
-                Matcher::Full("metrics_testing_foo".to_owned()),
+                Matcher::Full("metrics.testing foo".to_owned()),
                 &FULL_VALUES[..],
             )
             .set_buckets_for_metric(
-                Matcher::Prefix("metrics_testing".to_owned()),
+                Matcher::Prefix("metrics.testing".to_owned()),
                 &PREFIX_VALUES[..],
             )
             .set_buckets_for_metric(Matcher::Suffix("foo".to_owned()), &SUFFIX_VALUES[..])
             .set_buckets(&DEFAULT_VALUES[..])
             .build();
 
-        let full_key = Key::from_name("metrics_testing_foo");
+        let full_key = Key::from_name("metrics.testing_foo");
         recorder.record_histogram(&full_key, FULL_VALUES[0]);
 
-        let prefix_key = Key::from_name("metrics_testing_bar");
+        let prefix_key = Key::from_name("metrics.testing_bar");
         recorder.record_histogram(&prefix_key, PREFIX_VALUES[1]);
 
         let suffix_key = Key::from_name("metrics_testin_foo");
         recorder.record_histogram(&suffix_key, SUFFIX_VALUES[2]);
 
-        let default_key = Key::from_name("metrics_wee");
+        let default_key = Key::from_name("metrics.wee");
         recorder.record_histogram(&default_key, DEFAULT_VALUES[2] + 1.0);
 
         let full_data = concat!(
diff --git a/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/common.rs b/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/common.rs
index b1ec6e63..81f31304 100644
--- a/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/common.rs
+++ b/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/common.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ impl Matcher {
             Matcher::Full(full) => key == full,
         }
     }
+
+    /// Creates a sanitized version of this matcher.
+    pub(crate) fn sanitized(self) -> Matcher {
+        match self {
+            Matcher::Prefix(prefix) => Matcher::Prefix(sanitize_key_name(prefix.as_str())),
+            Matcher::Suffix(suffix) => Matcher::Suffix(sanitize_key_name(suffix.as_str())),
+            Matcher::Full(full) => Matcher::Full(sanitize_key_name(full.as_str())),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Errors that could occur while installing a Prometheus recorder/exporter.
@@ -53,3 +62,29 @@ pub struct Snapshot {
     pub gauges: HashMap<String, HashMap<Vec<String>, f64>>,
     pub distributions: HashMap<String, HashMap<Vec<String>, Distribution>>,
 }
+
+pub fn sanitize_key_name(key: &str) -> String {
+    // Replace anything that isn't [a-zA-Z0-9_:].
+    let sanitize = |c: char| !(c.is_alphanumeric() || c == '_' || c == ':');
+    key.to_string().replace(sanitize, "_")
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::sanitize_key_name;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sanitize_key_name() {
+        let test_cases = vec![
+            ("____", "____"),
+            ("foo bar", "foo_bar"),
+            ("abcd:efgh", "abcd:efgh"),
+            ("lars.andersen", "lars_andersen"),
+        ];
+
+        for (input, expected) in test_cases {
+            let result = sanitize_key_name(input);
+            assert_eq!(expected, result);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/recorder.rs b/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/recorder.rs
index 32c16ac6..923cc8ec 100644
--- a/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/recorder.rs
+++ b/metrics-exporter-prometheus/src/recorder.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use parking_lot::RwLock;
 use metrics::{GaugeValue, Key, Recorder, Unit};
 use metrics_util::{Handle, MetricKind, Recency, Registry};
 
-use crate::common::Snapshot;
+use crate::common::{sanitize_key_name, Snapshot};
 use crate::distribution::{Distribution, DistributionBuilder};
 
 pub(crate) struct Inner {
@@ -294,8 +294,7 @@ impl PrometheusHandle {
 }
 
 fn key_to_parts(key: &Key, defaults: &HashMap<String, String>) -> (String, Vec<String>) {
-    let sanitize = |c| c == '.' || c == '=' || c == '{' || c == '}' || c == '+' || c == '-';
-    let name = key.name().to_string().replace(sanitize, "_");
+    let name = sanitize_key_name(key.name());
     let mut values = defaults.clone();
     key.labels().into_iter().for_each(|label| {
         values.insert(label.key().into(), label.value().into());