diff --git a/scripts/_GrailsCreateProject.groovy b/scripts/_GrailsCreateProject.groovy
index 0bf83c56576..fcde4c4b980 100644
--- a/scripts/_GrailsCreateProject.groovy
+++ b/scripts/_GrailsCreateProject.groovy
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ target(createPlugin: "The implementation target")  {
 
     // Rename the plugin descriptor.
     pluginName = GrailsNameUtils.getNameFromScript(grailsAppName)
-    if (!(pluginName ==~ /[a-zA-Z-]+/)) {
-        println "Error: Specified plugin name [$grailsAppName] is invalid. Plugin names can only contain word characters separated by hyphens."
+    if (!(pluginName ==~ /[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9-]+/)) {
+        println "Error: Specified plugin name [$grailsAppName] is invalid. Plugin names can only contain word characters and numbers separated by hyphens."
         exit 1
     }