diff --git a/storages/backends/azure_storage.py b/storages/backends/azure_storage.py
index f476fd87a..ffb53de5e 100644
--- a/storages/backends/azure_storage.py
+++ b/storages/backends/azure_storage.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import mimetypes
-import re
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from tempfile import SpooledTemporaryFile
 
@@ -13,10 +12,13 @@
 from django.core.files.storage import Storage
 from django.utils import timezone
 from django.utils.deconstruct import deconstructible
-from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, force_text
+from django.utils.encoding import force_bytes, filepath_to_uri
 
 from storages.utils import (
-    clean_name, get_available_overwrite_name, safe_join, setting,
+    clean_name,
+    get_available_overwrite_name,
+    safe_join,
+    setting,
 )
 
 
@@ -103,10 +105,7 @@ def _get_valid_path(s):
     #   * must not end with dot or slash
     #   * can contain any character
     #   * must escape URL reserved characters
-    # We allow a subset of this to avoid
-    # illegal file names. We must ensure it is idempotent.
-    s = force_text(s).strip().replace(' ', '_')
-    s = re.sub(r'(?u)[^-\w./]', '', s)
+    #     (not needed here since the azure client will do that)
     s = s.strip('./')
     if len(s) > _AZURE_NAME_MAX_LEN:
         raise ValueError(
@@ -122,12 +121,6 @@ def _get_valid_path(s):
     return s
 
 
-def _clean_name_dance(name):
-    # `get_valid_path` may return `foo/../bar`
-    name = name.replace('\\', '/')
-    return clean_name(_get_valid_path(clean_name(name)))
-
-
 # Max len according to azure's docs
 _AZURE_NAME_MAX_LEN = 1024
 
@@ -170,8 +163,7 @@ def azure_protocol(self):
         else:
             return 'http'
 
-    def _path(self, name):
-        name = _clean_name_dance(name)
+    def _normalize_name(self, name):
         try:
             return safe_join(self.location, name)
         except ValueError:
@@ -179,20 +171,19 @@ def _path(self, name):
 
     def _get_valid_path(self, name):
         # Must be idempotent
-        return _get_valid_path(self._path(name))
+        return _get_valid_path(
+            self._normalize_name(
+                clean_name(name)))
 
     def _open(self, name, mode="rb"):
         return AzureStorageFile(name, mode, self)
 
-    def get_valid_name(self, name):
-        return _clean_name_dance(name)
-
     def get_available_name(self, name, max_length=_AZURE_NAME_MAX_LEN):
         """
         Returns a filename that's free on the target storage system, and
         available for new content to be written to.
         """
-        name = self.get_valid_name(name)
+        name = clean_name(name)
         if self.overwrite_files:
             return get_available_overwrite_name(name, max_length)
         return super(AzureStorage, self).get_available_name(name, max_length)
@@ -220,7 +211,7 @@ def size(self, name):
         return properties.content_length
 
     def _save(self, name, content):
-        name_only = self.get_valid_name(name)
+        cleaned_name = clean_name(name)
         name = self._get_valid_path(name)
         guessed_type, content_encoding = mimetypes.guess_type(name)
         content_type = (
@@ -242,7 +233,7 @@ def _save(self, name, content):
                 content_encoding=content_encoding),
             max_connections=self.upload_max_conn,
             timeout=self.timeout)
-        return name_only
+        return cleaned_name
 
     def _expire_at(self, expire):
         # azure expects time in UTC
@@ -264,7 +255,7 @@ def url(self, name, expire=None):
             make_blob_url_kwargs['protocol'] = self.azure_protocol
         return self.service.make_blob_url(
             container_name=self.azure_container,
-            blob_name=name,
+            blob_name=filepath_to_uri(name),
             **make_blob_url_kwargs)
 
     def get_modified_time(self, name):
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_azure.py b/tests/integration/test_azure.py
index edfc58e94..53865d708 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_azure.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_azure.py
@@ -29,19 +29,19 @@ def setUp(self, *args):
             self.storage.azure_container, public_access=False, fail_on_exist=False)
 
     def test_save(self):
-        expected_name = "some_blob_Ϊ.txt"
+        expected_name = "some blob Ϊ.txt"
         self.assertFalse(self.storage.exists(expected_name))
         stream = io.BytesIO(b'Im a stream')
-        name = self.storage.save('some blob Ϊ.txt', stream)
+        name = self.storage.save(expected_name, stream)
         self.assertEqual(name, expected_name)
         self.assertTrue(self.storage.exists(expected_name))
 
     def test_delete(self):
         self.storage.location = 'path'
-        expected_name = "some_blob_Ϊ.txt"
+        expected_name = "some blob Ϊ.txt"
         self.assertFalse(self.storage.exists(expected_name))
         stream = io.BytesIO(b'Im a stream')
-        name = self.storage.save('some blob Ϊ.txt', stream)
+        name = self.storage.save(expected_name, stream)
         self.assertEqual(name, expected_name)
         self.assertTrue(self.storage.exists(expected_name))
         self.storage.delete(expected_name)
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@ def test_delete(self):
 
     def test_size(self):
         self.storage.location = 'path'
-        expected_name = "some_path/some_blob_Ϊ.txt"
+        expected_name = "some path/some blob Ϊ.txt"
         self.assertFalse(self.storage.exists(expected_name))
         stream = io.BytesIO(b'Im a stream')
-        name = self.storage.save('some path/some blob Ϊ.txt', stream)
+        name = self.storage.save(expected_name, stream)
         self.assertEqual(name, expected_name)
         self.assertTrue(self.storage.exists(expected_name))
         self.assertEqual(self.storage.size(expected_name), len(b'Im a stream'))
@@ -64,6 +64,15 @@ def test_url(self):
         # has some query-string
         self.assertTrue("/test/my_file.txt?" in self.storage.url("my_file.txt"))
 
+    def test_url_unsafe_chars(self):
+        name = "my?file <foo>.txt"
+        expected = "/test/my%3Ffile%20%3Cfoo%3E.txt"
+        self.assertTrue(
+            self.storage.url(name).endswith(expected))
+        # has some query-string
+        self.storage.expiration_secs = 360
+        self.assertTrue("{}?".format(expected) in self.storage.url(name))
+
     @override_settings(USE_TZ=True)
     def test_get_modified_time_tz(self):
         stream = io.BytesIO(b'Im a stream')
@@ -101,7 +110,7 @@ def test_open_read(self):
         stream = io.BytesIO()
         self.storage.service.get_blob_to_stream(
             container_name=self.storage.azure_container,
-            blob_name='root/path/some_file.txt',
+            blob_name='root/path/some file.txt',
             stream=stream,
             max_connections=1,
             timeout=10)
@@ -178,6 +187,11 @@ class AzureStorageExpiry(azure_storage.AzureStorage):
     expiration_secs = 360
 
 
+class AzureStorageSpecialChars(azure_storage.AzureStorage):
+    def get_valid_name(self, name):
+        return name
+
+
 class FooFileForm(forms.Form):
 
     foo_file = forms.FileField()
@@ -259,3 +273,32 @@ def test_model_form(self):
             self.assertEqual(fh.read(), b'foo content')
         finally:
             fh.close()
+
+    def test_name_clean_issue_609(self):
+        """
+        Should strip special characters when using the default storage
+        """
+        simple_file = SimpleFileModel()
+        simple_file.foo_file = SimpleUploadedFile(
+            name='foo%?:;~bar.txt',
+            content=b'foo content')
+        simple_file.save()
+        self.assertEqual(simple_file.foo_file.name, 'foo_uploads/foobar.txt')
+        self.assertTrue('foobar.txt' in simple_file.foo_file.url)
+
+    @override_settings(
+        DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE='tests.integration.test_azure.AzureStorageSpecialChars')
+    def test_name_clean_issue_609_with_special_chars(self):
+        """
+        Should not strip special chars
+        """
+        name = 'foo%?:;~bar.txt'
+        simple_file = SimpleFileModel()
+        simple_file.foo_file = SimpleUploadedFile(
+            name=name,
+            content=b'foo content')
+        simple_file.save()
+        self.assertEqual(
+            simple_file.foo_file.name, 'foo_uploads/{}'.format(name))
+        self.assertTrue(
+            'foo_uploads/foo%25%3F%3A%3B~bar.txt' in simple_file.foo_file.url)
diff --git a/tests/test_azure.py b/tests/test_azure.py
index 55e93813f..e83a00b75 100644
--- a/tests/test_azure.py
+++ b/tests/test_azure.py
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ def test_get_valid_path(self):
             self.storage._get_valid_path("path\\to\\somewhere"),
             "path/to/somewhere")
         self.assertEqual(
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("some/$/path"), "some/path")
+            self.storage._get_valid_path("some/$/path"), "some/$/path")
         self.assertEqual(
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("/$/path"), "path")
+            self.storage._get_valid_path("/$/path"), "$/path")
         self.assertEqual(
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("path/$/"), "path")
+            self.storage._get_valid_path("path/$/"), "path/$")
         self.assertEqual(
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("path/$/$/$/path"), "path/path")
+            self.storage._get_valid_path("path/$/$/$/path"), "path/$/$/$/path")
         self.assertEqual(
             self.storage._get_valid_path("some///path"), "some/path")
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -66,24 +66,23 @@ def test_get_valid_path(self):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage._get_valid_path, "/../")
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage._get_valid_path, "..")
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage._get_valid_path, "///")
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage._get_valid_path, "!!!")
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage._get_valid_path, "a" * 1025)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage._get_valid_path, "a/a" * 257)
 
     def test_get_valid_path_idempotency(self):
         self.assertEqual(
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("//$//a//$//"), "a")
+            self.storage._get_valid_path("//$//a//$//"), "$/a/$")
         self.assertEqual(
             self.storage._get_valid_path(
                 self.storage._get_valid_path("//$//a//$//")),
             self.storage._get_valid_path("//$//a//$//"))
+        some_path = "some path/some long name & then some.txt"
         self.assertEqual(
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("some path/some long name & then some.txt"),
-            "some_path/some_long_name__then_some.txt")
+            self.storage._get_valid_path(some_path), some_path)
         self.assertEqual(
             self.storage._get_valid_path(
-                self.storage._get_valid_path("some path/some long name & then some.txt")),
-            self.storage._get_valid_path("some path/some long name & then some.txt"))
+                self.storage._get_valid_path(some_path)),
+            self.storage._get_valid_path(some_path))
 
     def test_get_available_name(self):
         self.storage.overwrite_files = False
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@ def test_get_available_name_first(self):
         self.storage._service.exists.return_value = False
         self.assertEqual(
             self.storage.get_available_name('foo bar baz.txt'),
-            'foo_bar_baz.txt')
+            'foo bar baz.txt')
         self.assertEqual(self.storage._service.exists.call_count, 1)
 
     def test_get_available_name_max_len(self):
@@ -118,14 +117,25 @@ def test_get_available_invalid(self):
         self.storage.overwrite_files = False
         self.storage._service.exists.return_value = False
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage.get_available_name, "")
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage.get_available_name, "$$")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage.get_available_name, "/")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage.get_available_name, ".")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage.get_available_name, "///")
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.storage.get_available_name, "...")
 
     def test_url(self):
         self.storage._service.make_blob_url.return_value = 'ret_foo'
         self.assertEqual(self.storage.url('some blob'), 'ret_foo')
         self.storage._service.make_blob_url.assert_called_once_with(
             container_name=self.container_name,
-            blob_name='some_blob',
+            blob_name='some%20blob',
+            protocol='https')
+
+    def test_url_unsafe_chars(self):
+        self.storage._service.make_blob_url.return_value = 'ret_foo'
+        self.assertEqual(self.storage.url('foo;?:@=&"<>#%{}|^~[]`bar/~!*()\''), 'ret_foo')
+        self.storage._service.make_blob_url.assert_called_once_with(
+            container_name=self.container_name,
+            blob_name='foo%3B%3F%3A%40%3D%26%22%3C%3E%23%25%7B%7D%7C%5E~%5B%5D%60bar/~!*()\'',
             protocol='https')
 
     def test_url_expire(self):
@@ -138,12 +148,12 @@ def test_url_expire(self):
             self.assertEqual(self.storage.url('some blob', 100), 'ret_foo')
             self.storage._service.generate_blob_shared_access_signature.assert_called_once_with(
                 self.container_name,
-                'some_blob',
+                'some blob',
                 BlobPermissions.READ,
                 expiry=fixed_time + timedelta(seconds=100))
             self.storage._service.make_blob_url.assert_called_once_with(
                 container_name=self.container_name,
-                blob_name='some_blob',
+                blob_name='some%20blob',
                 sas_token='foo_token',
                 protocol='https')
 
@@ -157,10 +167,10 @@ def test_storage_save(self):
         content = ContentFile('new content')
         with mock.patch('storages.backends.azure_storage.ContentSettings') as c_mocked:
             c_mocked.return_value = 'content_settings_foo'
-            self.assertEqual(self.storage.save(name, content), 'test_storage_save.txt')
+            self.assertEqual(self.storage.save(name, content), name)
             self.storage._service.create_blob_from_stream.assert_called_once_with(
                 container_name=self.container_name,
-                blob_name='test_storage_save.txt',
+                blob_name=name,
                 stream=content.file,
                 content_settings='content_settings_foo',
                 max_connections=2,