diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
index 139fb11210bb4fc1206d69bbe56b3a15b934bc11_aGdleHQvbXEucHk=..3c616f512a5b55dfc269b7da5818df66b286c680_aGdleHQvbXEucHk= 100644
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -854,7 +854,6 @@
 
     _reserved = ('series', 'status', 'guards', '.', '..')
     def check_reserved_name(self, name):
-        if (name in self._reserved or name.startswith('.hg')
-            or name.startswith('.mq') or '#' in name or ':' in name):
+        if name in self._reserved:
             raise util.Abort(_('"%s" cannot be used as the name of a patch')
                              % name)
@@ -859,5 +858,14 @@
             raise util.Abort(_('"%s" cannot be used as the name of a patch')
                              % name)
+        for prefix in ('.hg', '.mq'):
+            if name.startswith(prefix):
+                raise util.Abort(_('patch name cannot begin with "%s"')
+                                 % prefix)
+        for c in ('#', ':'):
+            if c in name:
+                raise util.Abort(_('"%s" cannot be used in the name of a patch')
+                                 % c)
+
 
     def new(self, repo, patchfn, *pats, **opts):
         """options:
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qnew.t b/tests/test-mq-qnew.t
index 139fb11210bb4fc1206d69bbe56b3a15b934bc11_dGVzdHMvdGVzdC1tcS1xbmV3LnQ=..3c616f512a5b55dfc269b7da5818df66b286c680_dGVzdHMvdGVzdC1tcS1xbmV3LnQ= 100644
--- a/tests/test-mq-qnew.t
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qnew.t
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@
   abort: "guards" cannot be used as the name of a patch
   abort: "." cannot be used as the name of a patch
   abort: ".." cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: ".hgignore" cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: ".mqfoo" cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: "foo#bar" cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: "foo:bar" cannot be used as the name of a patch
+  abort: patch name cannot begin with ".hg"
+  abort: patch name cannot begin with ".mq"
+  abort: "#" cannot be used in the name of a patch
+  abort: ":" cannot be used in the name of a patch
   % qnew with name containing slash
   abort: path ends in directory separator: foo/
   abort: "foo" already exists as a directory
@@ -173,10 +173,10 @@
   abort: "guards" cannot be used as the name of a patch
   abort: "." cannot be used as the name of a patch
   abort: ".." cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: ".hgignore" cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: ".mqfoo" cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: "foo#bar" cannot be used as the name of a patch
-  abort: "foo:bar" cannot be used as the name of a patch
+  abort: patch name cannot begin with ".hg"
+  abort: patch name cannot begin with ".mq"
+  abort: "#" cannot be used in the name of a patch
+  abort: ":" cannot be used in the name of a patch
   % qnew with name containing slash
   abort: path ends in directory separator: foo/
   abort: "foo" already exists as a directory