diff --git a/bin/pyenv-virtualenv b/bin/pyenv-virtualenv
index e1cad68..7e1644b 100755
--- a/bin/pyenv-virtualenv
+++ b/bin/pyenv-virtualenv
@@ -297,6 +297,11 @@ if [ -z "${VERSION_NAME}" ] || [ -z "${VIRTUALENV_NAME}" ]; then
   usage 1
 fi
 
+if [ "$VIRTUALENV_NAME" != "${VIRTUALENV_NAME%[[:space:]]*}" ]; then
+  echo "pyenv-virtualenv: no whitespace allowed in virtualenv name." 1>&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # Set VERSION_NAME as default version in this script
 export PYENV_VERSION="${VERSION_NAME}"
 
diff --git a/test/virtualenv.bats b/test/virtualenv.bats
index 0b3796e..7a0d7e5 100644
--- a/test/virtualenv.bats
+++ b/test/virtualenv.bats
@@ -132,3 +132,21 @@ OUT
   unstub pyenv-exec
   unstub curl
 }
+
+@test "no whitespace allowed in virtualenv name" {
+  run pyenv-virtualenv "3.2.1" "foo bar"
+
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output <<OUT
+pyenv-virtualenv: no whitespace allowed in virtualenv name.
+OUT
+}
+
+@test "no tab allowed in virtualenv name" {
+  run pyenv-virtualenv "3.2.1" "foo	bar baz"
+
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output <<OUT
+pyenv-virtualenv: no whitespace allowed in virtualenv name.
+OUT
+}