diff --git a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidator.java b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidator.java
index c8e94762..1afb1a90 100644
--- a/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidator.java
+++ b/gson/src/main/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidator.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import java.util.regex.Pattern;
  */
 class JsonFieldNameValidator {
   private static final Pattern JSON_FIELD_NAME_PATTERN =
-      Pattern.compile("(^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9\\$_]*$)|(^[\\$_][a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9\\$_]*$)");
+      Pattern.compile("(^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9\\$_\\-]*$)|(^[\\$_][a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9\\$_\\-]*$)");
 
   
   /**
diff --git a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidatorTest.java b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidatorTest.java
index c0e0e762..e4a80195 100644
--- a/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidatorTest.java
+++ b/gson/src/test/java/com/google/gson/JsonFieldNameValidatorTest.java
@@ -92,4 +92,9 @@ public class JsonFieldNameValidatorTest extends TestCase {
       fail("Json field name can not contain a period character");
     } catch (IllegalArgumentException expected) { }
   }
+  
+  public void testDashesInFieldName() throws Exception {
+    String fieldName = "test-field-name";
+    assertEquals(fieldName, validator.validate(fieldName));
+  }
 }