diff --git a/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/clientUtils.node.tsx b/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/clientUtils.node.tsx
index 92492f7d2..f86b7bcea 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/clientUtils.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/clientUtils.node.tsx
@@ -48,3 +48,21 @@ test('client id deconstruction error logged', () => {
   });
   expect(consoleErrorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 });
+
+test('special characters in app name handled correctly', () => {
+  const consoleErrorSpy = jest.spyOn(global.console, 'error');
+
+  const testClient = {
+    app: '#myGreat#App&',
+    os: 'iOS',
+    device: 'iPhone Simulator',
+    device_id: 'EC431B79-69F1-4705-9FE5-9AE5D96378E1',
+  };
+  const clientId = buildClientId(testClient);
+
+  const deconstructedClientId = deconstructClientId(clientId);
+
+  expect(deconstructedClientId).toStrictEqual(testClient);
+
+  expect(consoleErrorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+});
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/utils/clientUtils.tsx b/desktop/app/src/utils/clientUtils.tsx
index 82b7ab1f7..46e422a8f 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/utils/clientUtils.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/utils/clientUtils.tsx
@@ -72,14 +72,16 @@ export function buildClientId(clientInfo: {
       );
     }
   }
-  return `${clientInfo.app}#${clientInfo.os}#${clientInfo.device}#${clientInfo.device_id}`;
+  const escapedName = escape(clientInfo.app);
+  return `${escapedName}#${clientInfo.os}#${clientInfo.device}#${clientInfo.device_id}`;
 }
 
 export function deconstructClientId(clientId: string): ClientIdConstituents {
   if (!clientId || clientId.split('#').length !== 4) {
     console.error(`Attempted to deconstruct invalid clientId: "${clientId}"`);
   }
-  const [app, os, device, device_id] = clientId.split('#');
+  let [app, os, device, device_id] = clientId.split('#');
+  app = unescape(app);
   return {
     app,
     os,