diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/layer.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/layer.rs
index 806641ef6..c5fa89403 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/layer.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/layer.rs
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ fn loaded_linetype(d: &cadcraft_doc::Drawing, cmd: &str, p: &Value) -> Result<Op
 }
 
 fn valid_name(n: &str) -> bool {
-    !n.trim().is_empty() && n.len() <= 255 && !n.chars().any(|c| "<>/\\\":;?*|,=`".contains(c))
+    !n.trim().is_empty() && n.len() <= 255 && !n.chars().any(|c| c.is_control() || "<>/\\\":;?*|,=`".contains(c))
 }
 
 fn run_new(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
diff --git a/crates/engine/tests/layer_name_control_chars.rs b/crates/engine/tests/layer_name_control_chars.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e00a1454
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/engine/tests/layer_name_control_chars.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//! `layer.new` refuses control characters in a layer name (the DXF writer would turn them into
+//! spaces and the name would change on reopen).
+
+use cadcraft_engine::Session;
+use serde_json::json;
+
+#[test]
+fn layer_new_rejects_control_characters() {
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    for name in ["A\nB", "A\tB", "A\u{0}B"] {
+        assert!(s.execute("layer.new", &json!({"name": name})).is_err(), "{name:?} was accepted");
+    }
+    assert!(s.execute("layer.new", &json!({"name": "A B"})).is_ok());
+}