diff -Naur src.org/m_class.c src/m_class.c
--- src.org/m_class.c	2005-11-17 13:05:44.244141632 +0100
+++ src/m_class.c	2005-11-17 13:17:55.620955456 +0100
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 static t_symbol *class_loadsym;     /* name under which an extern is invoked */
 static void pd_defaultfloat(t_pd *x, t_float f);
@@ -513,6 +514,42 @@
 t_symbol* pathsearch(t_symbol *s,char* ext);
 int pd_setloadingabstraction(t_symbol *sym);
 
+
+/* replace everything but [a-zA-Z0-9_] by "0x%x" */
+static char*alternative_classname(char*classname)
+{
+  char *altname=(char*)getbytes(sizeof(char)*MAXPDSTRING);
+  int count=0;
+  int i=0;
+  for(i=0; i<MAXPDSTRING; i++)
+    altname[i]=0;
+  i=0;
+  while(*classname)
+    {
+      char c=*classname;
+      if((c>=48 && c<=57)|| /* [0-9] */
+         (c>=65 && c<=90)|| /* [A-Z] */
+         (c>=97 && c<=122)||/* [a-z] */
+         (c==95)) /* [_] */
+        {
+          altname[i]=c;
+          i++;
+        }
+      else /* a "bad" character */
+        {
+          sprintf(altname+i, "0x%02x", c);
+          i+=4;
+          count++;
+        }
+      classname++;
+    }
+  if(count>0)return altname;
+  /* seems like the given classname is fine as can be */
+  freebytes(altname, sizeof(char)*MAXPDSTRING);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
     /* this routine is called when a new "object" is requested whose class Pd
     doesn't know.  Pd tries to load it as an extern, then as an abstraction. */
 void new_anything(void *dummy, t_symbol *s, int argc, t_atom *argv)
@@ -521,10 +558,11 @@
     t_symbol *dir = canvas_getcurrentdir();
     int fd;
     char dirbuf[MAXPDSTRING], *nameptr;
+    char *altname=alternative_classname(s->s_name);
     if (tryingalready) return;
     newest = 0;
     class_loadsym = s;
-    if (sys_load_lib(dir->s_name, s->s_name))
+    if (sys_load_lib_alt(dir->s_name, s->s_name,altname))
     {
         tryingalready = 1;
         typedmess(dummy, s, argc, argv);
@@ -535,6 +573,8 @@
     current = s__X.s_thing;
     if ((fd = open_via_path(dir->s_name, s->s_name, ".pd",
         dirbuf, &nameptr, MAXPDSTRING, 0)) >= 0 ||
+        (altname && (fd = open_via_path(dir->s_name, altname, ".pd",
+              dirbuf, &nameptr, MAXPDSTRING, 0)) >= 0) ||
             (fd = open_via_path(dir->s_name, s->s_name, ".pat",
                 dirbuf, &nameptr, MAXPDSTRING, 0)) >= 0)
     {
diff -Naur src.org/s_loader.c src/s_loader.c
--- src.org/s_loader.c	2005-11-17 13:05:44.288134944 +0100
+++ src/s_loader.c	2005-11-17 13:17:55.651950744 +0100
@@ -46,10 +46,11 @@
 
 void class_set_extern_dir(t_symbol *s);
 
-int sys_load_lib(char *dirname, char *classname)
+int sys_load_lib_alt(char *dirname, char *classname, char*altname)
 {
     char symname[MAXPDSTRING], filename[MAXPDSTRING], dirbuf[MAXPDSTRING],
-        classname2[MAXPDSTRING], *nameptr, *lastdot;
+      classname2[MAXPDSTRING], *nameptr, *lastdot, 
+      altsymname[MAXPDSTRING];
     void *dlobj;
     t_xxx makeout = NULL;
     int fd;
@@ -72,6 +73,25 @@
         if ((fd = open_via_path(dirname, classname2, sys_dllextent,
             dirbuf, &nameptr, MAXPDSTRING, 1)) < 0)
         {
+          /* next try (alternative_classname).(sys_dllextent) */
+          if(altname)
+            {
+              if ((fd = open_via_path(dirname, altname, sys_dllextent,
+                                      dirbuf, &nameptr, MAXPDSTRING, 1)) < 0)
+
+                /* next try (alternative_classname)/(alternative_classname).(sys_dllextent) ... */
+                strncpy(classname2, altname, MAXPDSTRING);
+              filename[MAXPDSTRING-2] = 0;
+              strcat(classname2, "/");
+              strncat(classname2, altname, MAXPDSTRING-strlen(classname2));
+              filename[MAXPDSTRING-1] = 0;
+              if ((fd = open_via_path(dirname, classname2, sys_dllextent,
+                                      dirbuf, &nameptr, MAXPDSTRING, 1)) < 0)
+                {
+                  return 0;
+                } 
+            }
+          else
             return (0);
         }
     }
@@ -93,9 +113,20 @@
 #ifdef MACOSX
     strcpy(symname, "_");
     strcat(symname, nameptr);
+    if(altname)
+      {
+        strcpy(altsymname, "_setup_");
+        strcat(symname, altname);
+      }
 #else
     strcpy(symname, nameptr);
+    if(altname)
+      {
+        strcpy(altsymname, "setup_");
+        strcat(altsymname, altname);
+      }
 #endif
+
         /* if the last character is a tilde, replace with "_tilde" */
     if (symname[strlen(symname) - 1] == '~')
         strcpy(symname + (strlen(symname) - 1), "_tilde");
@@ -110,6 +141,7 @@
         return (0);
     }
     makeout = (t_xxx)dlsym(dlobj,  symname);
+    if(!makeout)makeout = (t_xxx)dlsym(dlobj,  altsymname);
 #endif
 #ifdef MSW
     sys_bashfilename(filename, filename);
@@ -121,6 +153,7 @@
         return (0);
     }
     makeout = (t_xxx)GetProcAddress(ntdll, symname);  
+    if(!makeout)makeout = (t_xxx)GetProcAddress(ntdll, altsymname);  
 #endif
 #ifdef MACOSX
     {
@@ -147,6 +180,8 @@
         }
         s = NSLookupSymbolInModule(ret, symname); 
 
+        if(!s)s=NSLookupSymbolInModule(ret, altsymname); 
+
         if (s)
             makeout = (t_xxx)NSAddressOfSymbol( s);
         else makeout = 0;
@@ -156,6 +191,8 @@
     if (!makeout)
     {
         post("load_object: Symbol \"%s\" not found", symname);
+        if(altname)
+          post("load_object: Symbol \"%s\" not found", altsymname);
         class_set_extern_dir(&s_);
         return 0;
     }
@@ -164,6 +201,10 @@
     return (1);
 }
 
+int sys_load_lib(char *dirname, char *filename)
+{
+  return sys_load_lib_alt(dirname, filename, 0);
+}
 
 
 
diff -Naur src.org/s_stuff.h src/s_stuff.h
--- src.org/s_stuff.h	2005-11-17 13:05:44.301132968 +0100
+++ src/s_stuff.h	2005-11-17 13:17:55.656949984 +0100
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 
 /* s_loader.c */
 int sys_load_lib(char *dirname, char *filename);
+int sys_load_lib_alt(char *dirname, char *filename, char* altname);
 
 /* s_audio.c */