diff --git a/common/qodana.ts b/common/qodana.ts
index f15099e7..419fe585 100644
--- a/common/qodana.ts
+++ b/common/qodana.ts
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ export function getQodanaSha256MismatchMessage(
  * @param branchName the branch name to sanitize.
  */
 export function validateBranchName(branchName: string): string {
-  const validBranchNameRegex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9/\-_]+$/
+  const validBranchNameRegex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9/\-_.]+$/
   if (!validBranchNameRegex.test(branchName)) {
     throw new Error(
       `Invalid branch name: not allowed characters are used: ${branchName}`
diff --git a/scan/__tests__/main.test.ts b/scan/__tests__/main.test.ts
index e787b547..e34c9a4e 100644
--- a/scan/__tests__/main.test.ts
+++ b/scan/__tests__/main.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import {
   getQodanaScanArgs,
   Inputs,
   QODANA_OPEN_IN_IDE_NAME,
-  QODANA_REPORT_URL_NAME
+  QODANA_REPORT_URL_NAME,
+  validateBranchName
 } from '../../common/qodana'
 import {
   Annotation,
@@ -18,6 +19,20 @@ import * as fs from 'fs'
 import * as path from 'path'
 import * as os from 'os'
 
+test('validate branch names', () => {
+  let validBranchNames = [
+    'main',
+    'dependabot/go_modules/cmd/dependencies.1987366a71',
+    'refs/heads/main',
+    'refs/tags/v1.0.0',
+    'refs/pull/123/merge',
+    'v2024.1.3'
+  ]
+  for (let branchName of validBranchNames) {
+    expect(validateBranchName(branchName)).toEqual(branchName)
+  }
+})
+
 test('qodana scan command args', () => {
   const inputs = inputsDefaultFixture()
   const result = getQodanaScanArgs(
diff --git a/scan/dist/index.js b/scan/dist/index.js
index ea781e78..6ed009a5 100644
--- a/scan/dist/index.js
+++ b/scan/dist/index.js
@@ -24439,7 +24439,7 @@ function getQodanaSha256MismatchMessage(expected, actual) {
   return `Downloaded Qodana CLI binary is corrupted. Expected SHA-256 checksum: ${expected}, actual checksum: ${actual}`;
 }
 function validateBranchName(branchName) {
-  const validBranchNameRegex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9/\-_]+$/;
+  const validBranchNameRegex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9/\-_.]+$/;
   if (!validBranchNameRegex.test(branchName)) {
     throw new Error(
       `Invalid branch name: not allowed characters are used: ${branchName}`
diff --git a/vsts/QodanaScan/index.js b/vsts/QodanaScan/index.js
index 394f8ac1..bca06b76 100644
--- a/vsts/QodanaScan/index.js
+++ b/vsts/QodanaScan/index.js
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ function getQodanaSha256MismatchMessage(expected, actual) {
   return `Downloaded Qodana CLI binary is corrupted. Expected SHA-256 checksum: ${expected}, actual checksum: ${actual}`;
 }
 function validateBranchName(branchName) {
-  const validBranchNameRegex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9/\-_]+$/;
+  const validBranchNameRegex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9/\-_.]+$/;
   if (!validBranchNameRegex.test(branchName)) {
     throw new Error(
       `Invalid branch name: not allowed characters are used: ${branchName}`