diff --git a/tar/storage/entry.go b/tar/storage/entry.go
index 38fe7ba..a152ac2 100644
--- a/tar/storage/entry.go
+++ b/tar/storage/entry.go
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 package storage
 
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/vbatts/tar-split/tar/common"
+)
+
 // Entries is for sorting by Position
 type Entries []Entry
 
@@ -33,7 +39,44 @@ const (
 type Entry struct {
 	Type     Type   `json:"type"`
 	Name     string `json:"name,omitempty"`
+	NameRaw  []byte `json:"name_raw,omitempty"`
 	Size     int64  `json:"size,omitempty"`
 	Payload  []byte `json:"payload"` // SegmentType stores payload here; FileType stores crc64 checksum here;
 	Position int    `json:"position"`
 }
+
+// SetName will check name for valid UTF-8 string, and set the appropriate
+// field. See https://github.com/vbatts/tar-split/issues/17
+func (e *Entry) SetName(name string) {
+	if common.IsValidUtf8String(name) {
+		e.Name = name
+	} else {
+		e.NameRaw = []byte(name)
+	}
+}
+
+// SetNameBytes will check name for valid UTF-8 string, and set the appropriate
+// field
+func (e *Entry) SetNameBytes(name []byte) {
+	if !common.IsValidUtf8Btyes(name) {
+		e.NameRaw = name
+	} else {
+		e.Name = string(name)
+	}
+}
+
+// GetName returns the string for the entry's name, regardless of the field stored in
+func (e *Entry) GetName() string {
+	if len(e.NameRaw) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s", e.NameRaw)
+	}
+	return e.Name
+}
+
+// GetNameBytes returns the bytes for the entry's name, regardless of the field stored in
+func (e *Entry) GetNameBytes() []byte {
+	if len(e.NameRaw) > 0 {
+		return e.NameRaw
+	}
+	return []byte(e.Name)
+}
diff --git a/tar/storage/entry_test.go b/tar/storage/entry_test.go
index c797bca..90d103e 100644
--- a/tar/storage/entry_test.go
+++ b/tar/storage/entry_test.go
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ func TestEntries(t *testing.T) {
 func TestFile(t *testing.T) {
 	f := Entry{
 		Type:     FileType,
-		Name:     "./hello.txt",
 		Size:     100,
 		Position: 2,
 	}
+	f.SetName("./hello.txt")
 
 	buf, err := json.Marshal(f)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -54,8 +54,37 @@ func TestFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	if f.Name != f1.Name {
-		t.Errorf("expected Name %q, got %q", f.Name, f1.Name)
+	if f.GetName() != f1.GetName() {
+		t.Errorf("expected Name %q, got %q", f.GetName(), f1.GetName())
+	}
+	if f.Size != f1.Size {
+		t.Errorf("expected Size %q, got %q", f.Size, f1.Size)
+	}
+	if f.Position != f1.Position {
+		t.Errorf("expected Position %q, got %q", f.Position, f1.Position)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFileRaw(t *testing.T) {
+	f := Entry{
+		Type:     FileType,
+		Size:     100,
+		Position: 2,
+	}
+	f.SetNameBytes([]byte{0x2E, 0x2F, 0x68, 0x65, 0x6C, 0x6C, 0x6F, 0xE4, 0x2E, 0x74, 0x78, 0x74})
+
+	buf, err := json.Marshal(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	f1 := Entry{}
+	if err = json.Unmarshal(buf, &f1); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if f.GetName() != f1.GetName() {
+		t.Errorf("expected Name %q, got %q", f.GetName(), f1.GetName())
 	}
 	if f.Size != f1.Size {
 		t.Errorf("expected Size %q, got %q", f.Size, f1.Size)
diff --git a/tar/storage/packer.go b/tar/storage/packer.go
index a02a19a..1ea8208 100644
--- a/tar/storage/packer.go
+++ b/tar/storage/packer.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/vbatts/tar-split/tar/common"
 )
 
 // ErrDuplicatePath occurs when a tar archive has more than one entry for the
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ func (jup *jsonUnpacker) Next() (*Entry, error) {
 
 	// check for dup name
 	if e.Type == FileType {
-		cName := filepath.Clean(e.Name)
+		cName := filepath.Clean(e.GetName())
 		if _, ok := jup.seen[cName]; ok {
 			return nil, ErrDuplicatePath
 		}
@@ -93,9 +95,17 @@ type jsonPacker struct {
 type seenNames map[string]struct{}
 
 func (jp *jsonPacker) AddEntry(e Entry) (int, error) {
+	// if Name is not valid utf8, switch it to raw first.
+	if e.Name != "" {
+		if !common.IsValidUtf8String(e.Name) {
+			e.NameRaw = []byte(e.Name)
+			e.Name = ""
+		}
+	}
+
 	// check early for dup name
 	if e.Type == FileType {
-		cName := filepath.Clean(e.Name)
+		cName := filepath.Clean(e.GetName())
 		if _, ok := jp.seen[cName]; ok {
 			return -1, ErrDuplicatePath
 		}