diff --git a/lib/cdist/core/object.py b/lib/cdist/core/object.py
index db818f11..9abb11eb 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/core/object.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/core/object.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from cdist.util import fsproperty
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-DOT_CDIST = '.cdist'
+OBJECT_MARKER = '.cdist'
 
 
 class IllegalObjectIdError(cdist.Error):
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class Object(object):
     def list_object_names(cls, object_base_path):
         """Return a list of object names"""
         for path, dirs, files in os.walk(object_base_path):
-            if DOT_CDIST in dirs:
+            if OBJECT_MARKER in dirs:
                 yield os.path.relpath(path, object_base_path)
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -100,13 +100,13 @@ class Object(object):
         if object_id:
             if object_id.startswith('/'):
                 raise IllegalObjectIdError(object_id, 'object_id may not start with /')
-            if '.cdist' in object_id:
-                raise IllegalObjectIdError(object_id, 'object_id may not contain \'.cdist\'')
+            if OBJECT_MARKER in object_id.split(os.sep):
+                raise IllegalObjectIdError(object_id, 'object_id may not contain \'%s\'' % OBJECT_MARKER)
         self.type = cdist_type # instance of Type
         self.base_path = base_path
         self.object_id = object_id
         self.name = self.join_name(self.type.name, self.object_id)
-        self.path = os.path.join(self.type.path, self.object_id, DOT_CDIST)
+        self.path = os.path.join(self.type.path, self.object_id, OBJECT_MARKER)
         self.absolute_path = os.path.join(self.base_path, self.path)
         self.code_local_path = os.path.join(self.path, "code-local")
         self.code_remote_path = os.path.join(self.path, "code-remote")
diff --git a/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py b/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py
index 6681c916..f199ffb5 100644
--- a/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/cdist/test/object/__init__.py
@@ -58,12 +58,18 @@ class ObjectIdTestCase(test.CdistTestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(core.IllegalObjectIdError):
             core.Object(cdist_type, object_base_path, illegal_object_id)
 
-    def test_object_id_contains_dotcdist(self):
+    def test_object_id_contains_object_marker(self):
         cdist_type = core.Type(type_base_path, '__third')
-        illegal_object_id = 'object_id/may/not/contain/.cdist/anywhere'
+        illegal_object_id = 'object_id/may/not/contain/%s/anywhere' % core.OBJECT_MARKER
         with self.assertRaises(core.IllegalObjectIdError):
             core.Object(cdist_type, object_base_path, illegal_object_id)
 
+    def test_object_id_contains_object_marker_string(self):
+        cdist_type = core.Type(type_base_path, '__third')
+        illegal_object_id = 'object_id/may/contain_%s_in_filename' % core.OBJECT_MARKER
+        core.Object(cdist_type, object_base_path, illegal_object_id)
+        # if we get here, the test passed
+
 
 class ObjectTestCase(test.CdistTestCase):