diff --git a/spine/src/commonMain/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/Route.kt b/spine/src/commonMain/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/Route.kt
index 181e67c..0d4781e 100644
--- a/spine/src/commonMain/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/Route.kt
+++ b/spine/src/commonMain/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/Route.kt
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ data class Route(val segments: List<Segment>) {
 	data class Segment(val segment: String) {
 		init {
 			for (char in segment) {
-				if (!char.isLetterOrDigit() && char != '-' && char != '.' && char != '_' && char != '~')
-					throw IllegalArgumentException("A route segment can only be composed of letter, digits, and the characters '-', '.', '_' and '~'; found character '$char' in segment '$segment'")
+				if (char == '&' || char == '/' || char == '?')
+					throw IllegalArgumentException("A route segment cannot be composed of the characters '&', '/', or '?'; found character '$char' in segment '$segment'")
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/spine/src/commonTest/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/RouteTest.kt b/spine/src/commonTest/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/RouteTest.kt
index 129b3ca..cd604c8 100644
--- a/spine/src/commonTest/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/RouteTest.kt
+++ b/spine/src/commonTest/kotlin/opensavvy.spine/RouteTest.kt
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ class RouteTest {
 		assertEquals("test", (Route / "test").toString())
 		assertEquals("test35-7_12~.", (Route / "test35-7_12~.").toString())
 
-		assertFails { Route / "test with a space" }
 		assertFails { Route / "test/with/slashes" }
 	}