diff --git a/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gbl/util/Utils.java b/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gbl/util/Utils.java
index a0449efb..41ba7cdf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gbl/util/Utils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gbl/util/Utils.java
@@ -888,4 +888,23 @@ public final class Utils {
                 * ((descending) ? -1 : 1);
     }
 
+    public static String toFileName(final String name) {
+        if (name == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return name
+                .replace("ä", "ae")
+                .replace("ö", "oe")
+                .replace("ü", "ue")
+                .replace("Ä", "Ae")
+                .replace("Ö", "Oe")
+                .replace("Ü", "Ue")
+                .replace("è", "e")
+                .replace("é", "e")
+                .replace("à", "a")
+                .replace(" ", "_")
+                .replaceAll("[^A-Za-z0-9_]", "");
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gui/content/exam/ExamCreateClientConfigPopup.java b/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gui/content/exam/ExamCreateClientConfigPopup.java
index 1a480391..20012a3d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gui/content/exam/ExamCreateClientConfigPopup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/ch/ethz/seb/sebserver/gui/content/exam/ExamCreateClientConfigPopup.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.eclipse.rap.rwt.RWT;
 import org.eclipse.rap.rwt.client.service.UrlLauncher;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
@@ -74,8 +73,9 @@ public class ExamCreateClientConfigPopup {
         return action -> {
 
             final DateTime now = DateTime.now(DateTimeZone.UTC);
-            final String downloadFileName = StringUtils.remove(examName, " ") + "_" + now.getYear() + "-"
-                    + now.getMonthOfYear() + "-" + now.getDayOfMonth() + ".seb";
+            final String downloadFileName =
+                    Utils.toFileName(examName) + "_" + now.getYear() + "-"
+                            + now.getMonthOfYear() + "-" + now.getDayOfMonth() + ".seb";
 
             final ModalInputDialog<FormHandle<?>> dialog =
                     new ModalInputDialog<FormHandle<?>>(