diff --git a/fastcore/xml.py b/fastcore/xml.py
index fb6bc8c8..fdce0ce7 100644
--- a/fastcore/xml.py
+++ b/fastcore/xml.py
@@ -46,8 +46,10 @@ def __getattr__(self, k):
     def get(self, k, default=None): return self[2].get(k.lstrip('_').replace('_', '-'), default)
 
 # %% ../nbs/11_xml.ipynb
+_specials = set('@.-!~:[](){}$%^&*+=|/?<>,`')
+
 def attrmap(o):
-    if o=='_': return o
+    if o=='_' or (_specials & set(o)): return o
     o = dict(htmlClass='class', cls='class', _class='class', klass='class',
              _for='for', fr='for', htmlFor='for').get(o, o)
     return o.lstrip('_').replace('_', '-')
diff --git a/nbs/11_xml.ipynb b/nbs/11_xml.ipynb
index abf192d8..52a7acda 100644
--- a/nbs/11_xml.ipynb
+++ b/nbs/11_xml.ipynb
@@ -90,8 +90,10 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "#| export\n",
+    "_specials = set('@.-!~:[](){}$%^&*+=|/?<>,`')\n",
+    "\n",
     "def attrmap(o):\n",
-    "    if o=='_': return o\n",
+    "    if o=='_' or (_specials & set(o)): return o\n",
     "    o = dict(htmlClass='class', cls='class', _class='class', klass='class',\n",
     "             _for='for', fr='for', htmlFor='for').get(o, o)\n",
     "    return o.lstrip('_').replace('_', '-')"