diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer.py b/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer.py
index c5d065afe..245397eac 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer.py
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ class Lexer(object):
     CHAR_UC_LETTER_ = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"
     CHAR_LC_LETTER_ = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"
     CHAR_UNDERSCORE_ = "_"
-    CHAR_NAME_START_ = CHAR_UC_LETTER_
-    CHAR_NAME_CONTINUATION_ = CHAR_UC_LETTER_ + CHAR_UNDERSCORE_
+    CHAR_PERIOD_ = "."
+    CHAR_NAME_START_ = CHAR_UC_LETTER_ + CHAR_LC_LETTER_ + CHAR_PERIOD_ + \
+        CHAR_UNDERSCORE_
+    CHAR_NAME_CONTINUATION_ = CHAR_NAME_START_ + CHAR_DIGIT_
 
     def __init__(self, text, filename):
         self.filename_ = filename
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer_test.py b/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer_test.py
index 01dd441b9..c52d35121 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer_test.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/voltLib/lexer_test.py
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ class LexerTest(unittest.TestCase):
                          [(Lexer.STRING, "foo"), (Lexer.STRING, "bar")])
         self.assertRaises(VoltLibError, lambda: lex('"foo\n bar"'))
 
+    def test_name(self):
+        self.assertEqual(lex('DEF_FOO bar.alt1'),
+                         [(Lexer.NAME, "DEF_FOO"), (Lexer.NAME, "bar.alt1")])
+
     def test_number(self):
         self.assertEqual(lex("123 -456"),
                          [(Lexer.NUMBER, 123), (Lexer.NUMBER, -456)])