diff --git a/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify.go b/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify.go
index 80a1f8cce334..ef4d716d81bb 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	simpleSlugger = &slugger{
 		isValidCharacter: validCharacter,
+		replaceCharacter: '-',
 		replacementMap:   getDefaultReplacements(),
 		omitMap:          getDefaultOmitments(),
 	}
@@ -64,14 +65,12 @@ func validCharacter(c rune) bool {
 	if c >= '0' && c <= '9' {
 		return true
 	}
-	if c == '_' || c == '-' {
-		return true
-	}
 	return false
 }
 
 // Slugifier based on settings
 type slugger struct {
+	replaceCharacter rune
 	isValidCharacter func(c rune) bool
 	replacementMap   map[rune]string
 	omitMap          map[rune]struct{}
@@ -81,37 +80,52 @@ type slugger struct {
 func (s slugger) Slugify(value string) string {
 	value = strings.ToLower(value)
 	var buffer bytes.Buffer
+	lastCharacterWasInvalid := false
 
 	for len(value) > 0 {
 		c, size := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(value)
 		value = value[size:]
 
 		if newCharacter, ok := s.replacementMap[c]; ok {
+			if lastCharacterWasInvalid {
+				buffer.WriteRune(s.replaceCharacter)
+			}
 			buffer.WriteString(newCharacter)
+			lastCharacterWasInvalid = false
 			continue
 		}
 
 		if s.isValidCharacter(c) {
+			if lastCharacterWasInvalid {
+				buffer.WriteRune(s.replaceCharacter)
+			}
 			buffer.WriteRune(c)
+			lastCharacterWasInvalid = false
 			continue
 		}
 
 		if _, ok := s.omitMap[c]; ok {
+			lastCharacterWasInvalid = true
 			continue
 		}
 
 		p := make([]byte, 4)
 		size = utf8.EncodeRune(p, c)
+		if lastCharacterWasInvalid {
+			buffer.WriteRune(s.replaceCharacter)
+		}
 		for i := 0; i < size; i++ {
-			buffer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("%%%x", p[i]))
+			buffer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("%x", p[i]))
 		}
+		lastCharacterWasInvalid = true
 	}
 
-	return buffer.String()
+	return strings.Trim(buffer.String(), string(s.replaceCharacter))
 }
 
 func getDefaultOmitments() map[rune]struct{} {
 	return map[rune]struct{}{
+		' ':    {},
 		',':    {},
 		'"':    {},
 		'\'':   {},
@@ -122,13 +136,21 @@ func getDefaultOmitments() map[rune]struct{} {
 		'.':    {},
 		'(':    {},
 		')':    {},
+		'-':    {},
+		'_':    {},
+		'[':    {},
+		']':    {},
+		'/':    {},
+		'\\':   {},
+		'!':    {},
+		'{':    {},
+		'}':    {},
+		'%':    {},
 	}
 }
 
 func getDefaultReplacements() map[rune]string {
 	return map[rune]string{
-		' ': "-",
-
 		'&': "and",
 		'@': "at",
 		'©': "c",
diff --git a/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify_test.go b/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify_test.go
index 77891faf10c3..d8509d5e3816 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify_test.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/slugify/slugify_test.go
@@ -9,12 +9,16 @@ func TestSlugify(t *testing.T) {
 	results["hello-playground"] = "Hello, playground"
 	results["00a4bc92-3695-5702-9ddf-6719fdf11567"] = "😢 😣 😤 😥 😦 😧 😨 😩 😪 😫 😬 Hello, it's paradise"
 	results["61db60b5-f1e7-5853-9b81-0f074fc268ea"] = "😢 😣 😤 😥 😦 😧 😨 😩 😪 😫 😬"
-	results["%f0%9f%98%a2--"] = "😢 -"
-	results["a-"] = "?,a . \n "
+	results["f09f98a2"] = "😢 -"
+	results["a"] = "?,a . \n "
 	results["0a68eb57-c88a-5f34-9e9d-27f85e68af4f"] = "" // empty input has a slug!
 	results["3cbb528a-0ebf-54ad-bed2-2a188cd1824e"] = "方向盤後面 hi this is a test خلف المقو"
 	results["cong-hoa-xa-hoi-chu-nghia-viet-nam"] = "Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam"
 	results["noi-nang-canh-canh-ben-long-bieng-khuay"] = "Nỗi nàng canh cánh bên lòng biếng khuây" // This line in a poem called Truyen Kieu
+	results["hello-playground"] = "Hello / playground"
+	results["hello-playground"] = "Hello % playground"
+	results["hello-and-playground"] = "Hello & //% playground"
+	results["hello-2a-23-playground"] = "Hello *# playground"
 
 	for slug, original := range results {
 		actual := Slugify(original)
diff --git a/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models_test.go b/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models_test.go
index fa15762535ba..64595f0ffb80 100644
--- a/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/accesscontrol/models_test.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func TestSaveExternalServiceRoleCommand_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 				Permissions:       []Permission{{Action: "users:read", Scope: "users:id:1"}},
 			},
 			wantErr: false,
-			wantID:  "thisis-a-very-strange-___-app-name",
+			wantID:  "thisis-a-very-strange-app-name",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "invalid empty Action",
diff --git a/pkg/services/dashboards/models_test.go b/pkg/services/dashboards/models_test.go
index dbacb303b864..1e34a927ddda 100644
--- a/pkg/services/dashboards/models_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/dashboards/models_test.go
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ func TestSlugifyTitle(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := map[string]string{
 		"Grafana Play Home": "grafana-play-home",
 		"snöräv-över-ån":    "snorav-over-an",
-		"漢字":                "%e6%bc%a2%e5%ad%97",       // "han-zi",      // Hanzi for hanzi
-		"🇦🇶":                "%f0%9f%87%a6%f0%9f%87%b6", // flag of Antarctica-emoji, using fallback
-		"𒆠":                 "%f0%92%86%a0",             // cuneiform Ki, using fallback
+		"漢字":                "e6bca2-e5ad97",     // "han-zi",      // Hanzi for hanzi
+		"🇦🇶":                "f09f87a6-f09f87b6", // flag of Antarctica-emoji, using fallback
+		"𒆠":                 "f09286a0",          // cuneiform Ki, using fallback
 	}
 
 	for input, expected := range testCases {