diff --git a/py/makeqstrdata.py b/py/makeqstrdata.py
index c4b7be4..dbafd47 100644
--- a/py/makeqstrdata.py
+++ b/py/makeqstrdata.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import argparse
 import re
+from htmlentitydefs import codepoint2name
 
 # this must match the equivalent function in qstr.c
 def compute_hash(qstr):
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@
 
 def do_work(infiles):
     # read the qstrs in from the input files
-    qstrs = []
+    qstrs = {}
     for infile in infiles:
         with open(infile, 'rt') as f:
             line_number = 0
@@ -23,28 +24,29 @@
                     continue
 
                 # verify line is of the correct form
-                match = re.match(r'Q\(([0-9A-Za-z_]+)\)$', line)
+                match = re.match(r'Q\((.+)\)$', line)
                 if not match:
                     print('({}:{}) bad qstr format, got {}'.format(infile, line_number, line))
                     return False
 
                 # get the qstr value
                 qstr = match.group(1)
+                ident = re.sub(r'[^A-Za-z0-9_]', lambda s: "_" + codepoint2name[ord(s.group(0))] + "_", qstr)
 
                 # don't add duplicates
-                if qstr in qstrs:
+                if ident in qstrs:
                     continue
 
                 # add the qstr to the list
-                qstrs.append(qstr)
+                qstrs[ident] = qstr
 
     # process the qstrs, printing out the generated C header file
     print('// This file was automatically generated by makeqstrdata.py')
     print('')
-    for qstr in qstrs:
+    for ident, qstr in qstrs.items():
         qhash = compute_hash(qstr)
         qlen = len(qstr)
-        print('Q({}, (const byte*)"\\x{:02x}\\x{:02x}\\x{:02x}\\x{:02x}" "{}")'.format(qstr, qhash & 0xff, (qhash >> 8) & 0xff, qlen & 0xff, (qlen >> 8) & 0xff, qstr))
+        print('Q({}, (const byte*)"\\x{:02x}\\x{:02x}\\x{:02x}\\x{:02x}" "{}")'.format(ident, qhash & 0xff, (qhash >> 8) & 0xff, qlen & 0xff, (qlen >> 8) & 0xff, qstr))
 
     return True