diff --git a/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c b/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c
index 9ae518ac4a3..0d246b1835a 100644
--- a/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c
+++ b/src/sysv-generator/sysv-generator.c
@@ -241,19 +241,21 @@ static bool usage_contains_reload(const char *line) {
 
 static char *sysv_translate_name(const char *name) {
         char *r;
+        _cleanup_free_ char *c;
 
-        r = new(char, strlen(name) + strlen(".service") + 1);
-        if (!r)
-                return NULL;
+        c = strdup(name);
+        if (!c)
+            return NULL;
 
-        if (endswith(name, ".sh"))
-                /* Drop .sh suffix */
-                strcpy(stpcpy(r, name) - 3, ".service");
+        r = endswith(c, ".sh");
+        if (r) {
+            *r = '\0';
+        }
+
+        if (unit_name_mangle(c, UNIT_NAME_NOGLOB, &r) >= 0)
+            return r;
         else
-                /* Normal init script name */
-                strcpy(stpcpy(r, name), ".service");
-
-        return r;
+            return NULL;
 }
 
 static int sysv_translate_facility(const char *name, const char *filename, char **_r) {
@@ -340,6 +342,7 @@ static int handle_provides(SysvStub *s, unsigned line, const char *full_text, co
 
         FOREACH_WORD_QUOTED(word, z, text, state_) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *n = NULL, *m = NULL;
+                UnitType t;
 
                 n = strndup(word, z);
                 if (!n)
@@ -351,12 +354,13 @@ static int handle_provides(SysvStub *s, unsigned line, const char *full_text, co
                 if (r == 0)
                         continue;
 
-                if (unit_name_to_type(m) == UNIT_SERVICE) {
+                t = unit_name_to_type(m);
+                if (t == UNIT_SERVICE) {
                         log_debug("Adding Provides: alias '%s' for '%s'", m, s->name);
                         r = add_alias(s->name, m);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 log_warning_errno(r, "[%s:%u] Failed to add LSB Provides name %s, ignoring: %m", s->path, line, m);
-                } else {
+                } else if (t == UNIT_TARGET) {
                         /* NB: SysV targets which are provided by a
                          * service are pulled in by the services, as
                          * an indication that the generic service is
@@ -374,6 +378,10 @@ static int handle_provides(SysvStub *s, unsigned line, const char *full_text, co
                                         return log_oom();
                         }
                 }
+                else if (t == _UNIT_TYPE_INVALID)
+                        log_warning("Unit name '%s' is invalid", m);
+                else
+                        log_warning("Unknown unit type for unit '%s'", m);
         }
         if (!isempty(state_))
                 log_error("[%s:%u] Trailing garbage in Provides, ignoring.", s->path, line);
diff --git a/test/sysv-generator-test.py b/test/sysv-generator-test.py
index af0493b9a88..23d6646bba0 100644
--- a/test/sysv-generator-test.py
+++ b/test/sysv-generator-test.py
@@ -190,6 +190,15 @@ class SysvGeneratorTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assert_enabled('foo.service', ['multi-user', 'graphical'])
         self.assertNotIn('Overwriting', err)
 
+    def test_simple_escaped(self):
+        '''simple service without dependencies, that requires escaping the name'''
+
+        self.add_sysv('foo+', {})
+        self.add_sysv('foo-admin', {})
+        err, results = self.run_generator()
+        self.assertEqual(list(results), ['foo-admin.service', 'foo\\x2b.service'])
+        self.assertNotIn('Overwriting', err)
+
     def test_simple_enabled_some(self):
         '''simple service without dependencies, enabled in some runlevels'''
 
@@ -276,6 +285,16 @@ class SysvGeneratorTest(unittest.TestCase):
                              'foo.service')
         self.assertNotIn('Overwriting', err)
 
+    def test_provides_escaped(self):
+        '''a script that Provides: a name that requires escaping'''
+
+        self.add_sysv('foo', {'Provides': 'foo foo+'})
+        err, results = self.run_generator()
+        self.assertEqual(list(results), ['foo.service'])
+        self.assertEqual(os.readlink(os.path.join(self.out_dir, 'foo\\x2b.service')),
+                'foo.service')
+        self.assertNotIn('Overwriting', err)
+
     def test_same_provides_in_multiple_scripts(self):
         '''multiple init.d scripts provide the same name'''