diff --git a/kong/db/schema/entities/targets.lua b/kong/db/schema/entities/targets.lua
index 54b6041416a3..89346233e0a4 100644
--- a/kong/db/schema/entities/targets.lua
+++ b/kong/db/schema/entities/targets.lua
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@ local utils = require "kong.tools.utils"
 local function validate_target(target)
   local p = utils.normalize_ip(target)
   if not p then
-    return nil, "Invalid target; not a valid hostname or ip address"
+    local ok = utils.validate_utf8(target)
+    if not ok then
+      return nil, "Invalid target; not a valid hostname or ip address"
+    end
+
+    return nil, "Invalid target ('" .. target .. "'); not a valid hostname or ip address"
   end
   return true
 end
diff --git a/kong/db/schema/entities/upstreams.lua b/kong/db/schema/entities/upstreams.lua
index 6c5c612b2558..f7fda2cebd87 100644
--- a/kong/db/schema/entities/upstreams.lua
+++ b/kong/db/schema/entities/upstreams.lua
@@ -4,16 +4,26 @@ local utils = require "kong.tools.utils"
 local null = ngx.null
 
 
+local function get_name_for_error(name)
+  local ok = utils.validate_utf8(name)
+  if not ok then
+    return "Invalid name"
+  end
+
+  return "Invalid name ('" .. name .. "')"
+end
+
+
 local validate_name = function(name)
   local p = utils.normalize_ip(name)
   if not p then
-    return nil, "Invalid name; must be a valid hostname"
+    return nil, get_name_for_error(name) .. "; must be a valid hostname"
   end
   if p.type ~= "name" then
-    return nil, "Invalid name; no ip addresses allowed"
+    return nil, get_name_for_error(name) .. "; no ip addresses allowed"
   end
   if p.port then
-    return nil, "Invalid name; no port allowed"
+    return nil, get_name_for_error(name) .. "; no port allowed"
   end
   return true
 end
diff --git a/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/08-targets_spec.lua b/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/08-targets_spec.lua
index 36eec2dc23df..915ab26e335f 100644
--- a/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/08-targets_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/08-targets_spec.lua
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe("targets", function()
 
       local ok, err = validate({ target = "\\\\bad\\\\////name////", upstream = upstream })
       assert.falsy(ok)
-      assert.same({ target = "Invalid target; not a valid hostname or ip address"}, err)
+      assert.same({ target = "Invalid target ('\\\\bad\\\\////name////'); not a valid hostname or ip address"}, err)
     end)
   end)
 end)
diff --git a/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/09-upstreams_spec.lua b/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/09-upstreams_spec.lua
index e5c4092221d0..b745c74aff6d 100644
--- a/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/09-upstreams_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/01-unit/01-db/01-schema/09-upstreams_spec.lua
@@ -199,15 +199,15 @@ describe("load upstreams", function()
 
       ok, err = Upstreams:validate({ name = "123.123.123.123" })
       assert.falsy(ok)
-      assert.same({ name = "Invalid name; no ip addresses allowed" }, err)
+      assert.same({ name = "Invalid name ('123.123.123.123'); no ip addresses allowed" }, err)
 
       ok, err = Upstreams:validate({ name = "\\\\bad\\\\////name////" })
       assert.falsy(ok)
-      assert.same({ name = "Invalid name; must be a valid hostname" }, err)
+      assert.same({ name = "Invalid name ('\\\\bad\\\\////name////'); must be a valid hostname" }, err)
 
       ok, err = Upstreams:validate({ name = "name:80" })
       assert.falsy(ok)
-      assert.same({ name = "Invalid name; no port allowed" }, err)
+      assert.same({ name = "Invalid name ('name:80'); no port allowed" }, err)
     end)
 
     -- acceptance
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/07-upstreams_routes_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/07-upstreams_routes_spec.lua
index c2481e02f4e3..0ed80c344a1e 100644
--- a/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/07-upstreams_routes_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/02-integration/04-admin_api/07-upstreams_routes_spec.lua
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ describe("Admin API: #" .. strategy, function()
             body = assert.res_status(400, res)
             local json = cjson.decode(body)
             assert.equals("schema violation", json.name)
-            assert.same({ name = "Invalid name; must be a valid hostname" }, json.fields)
+            assert.same({ name = "Invalid name ('some invalid host name'); must be a valid hostname" }, json.fields)
 
             -- Invalid slots parameter
             res = assert(client:send {
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ describe("Admin API: #" .. strategy, function()
 
             body = assert.response(res).has.status(400)
             local json = cjson.decode(body)
-            assert.same("Invalid name; no ip addresses allowed", json.message)
+            assert.same("Invalid name ('1.2.3.4'); no ip addresses allowed", json.message)
           end
         end)
       end)