diff --git a/rules/engine.go b/rules/engine.go
index 2f0e2f4..3f3dd69 100644
--- a/rules/engine.go
+++ b/rules/engine.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package rules
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ type V3Engine interface {
 	AddRule(rule DynamicRule,
 		lockPattern string,
 		callback V3RuleTaskCallback,
-		options ...RuleOption)
+		options ...RuleOption) error
 	AddPolling(namespacePattern string,
 		preconditions DynamicRule,
 		ttl int,
@@ -169,8 +170,13 @@ func (e *v3Engine) SetWatcherWrapper(watcherWrapper WrapWatcher) {
 func (e *v3Engine) AddRule(rule DynamicRule,
 	lockPattern string,
 	callback V3RuleTaskCallback,
-	options ...RuleOption) {
+	options ...RuleOption) error {
+	validPath := regexp.MustCompile(`^[[:alnum:] \:\/\"\'\_\.\,\*\=\-]*$`)
+	if !validPath.MatchString(lockPattern) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Path contains an invalid character")
+	}
 	e.addRuleWithIface(rule, lockPattern, callback, options...)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (e *baseEngine) Stop() {
diff --git a/rules/engine_test.go b/rules/engine_test.go
index 8335bc2..8863856 100644
--- a/rules/engine_test.go
+++ b/rules/engine_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package rules
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -30,14 +31,18 @@ func TestV3EngineConstructor(t *testing.T) {
 	eng := NewV3Engine(cfg, getTestLogger())
 	value := "val"
 	rule, _ := NewEqualsLiteralRule("/key", &value)
-	eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock", v3DummyCallback, RuleID("test"))
-	assert.PanicsWithValue(t, "Rule ID option missing", func() { eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock", v3DummyCallback) })
-	err := eng.AddPolling("/polling", rule, 30, v3DummyCallback)
+	err := eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock?@", v3DummyCallback, RuleID("test"))
+	assert.Equal(t, err, fmt.Errorf("Path contains an invalid character"))
+	err = eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock", v3DummyCallback, RuleID("test"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.PanicsWithValue(t, "Rule ID option missing", func() { assert.NoError(t, eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock", v3DummyCallback)) })
+	err = eng.AddPolling("/polling", rule, 30, v3DummyCallback)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assertEngineRunStop(t, eng)
 
 	eng = NewV3Engine(cfg, getTestLogger(), KeyExpansion(map[string][]string{"a:": {"b"}}))
-	eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock", v3DummyCallback, RuleLockTimeout(30), RuleID("test"))
+	err = eng.AddRule(rule, "/lock", v3DummyCallback, RuleLockTimeout(30), RuleID("test"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	err = eng.AddPolling("/polling", rule, 30, v3DummyCallback)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	err = eng.AddPolling("/polling[", rule, 30, v3DummyCallback)
diff --git a/rules/lock/lock.go b/rules/lock/lock.go
index 36bb547..c6b4ed4 100644
--- a/rules/lock/lock.go
+++ b/rules/lock/lock.go
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package lock
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 	"time"
 
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -56,10 +54,6 @@ type v3Locker struct {
 }
 
 func (v3l *v3Locker) Lock(key string, options ...Option) (RuleLock, error) {
-	validPath := regexp.MustCompile(`^[[:alnum:] \/\"\'\_\.\,\*\=\-]+$`)
-	if !validPath.MatchString(key) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Path variable contains an invalid character")
-	}
 	return v3l.lockWithTimeout(key, v3l.lockTimeout)
 }
 func (v3l *v3Locker) lockWithTimeout(key string, timeout int) (RuleLock, error) {
diff --git a/rules/lock/lock_test.go b/rules/lock/lock_test.go
index 3a41922..1e5962e 100644
--- a/rules/lock/lock_test.go
+++ b/rules/lock/lock_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package lock
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -59,39 +58,3 @@ func Test_V3Locker(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
-
-func Test_V3LockerRegex(t *testing.T) {
-	cfg, cl := teststore.InitV3Etcd(t)
-	_, err := v3.New(cfg)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	newSession := func(_ context.Context) (*v3c.Session, error) {
-		return v3c.NewSession(cl, v3c.WithTTL(30))
-	}
-
-	testcases := []struct {
-		name    string
-		lockKey string
-		err     error
-	}{
-		{
-			name:    "bad regex",
-			lockKey: "/test?/",
-			err:     fmt.Errorf("Path variable contains an invalid character"),
-		},
-		{
-			name:    "good regex",
-			lockKey: "/test/",
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tc := range testcases {
-		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			rlckr := v3Locker{
-				newSession:  newSession,
-				lockTimeout: 5,
-			}
-			_, err := rlckr.Lock(tc.lockKey)
-			assert.Equal(t, err, tc.err)
-		})
-	}
-}