diff --git a/applications/test/fileNameOS/Make/files b/applications/test/fileNameOS/Make/files
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0e1be7b39452df98c2aaad67de59793c995c2171
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/fileNameOS/Make/files
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Test-fileNameOS.C
+
+EXE = $(FOAM_USER_APPBIN)/Test-fileNameOS
diff --git a/applications/test/fileNameOS/Make/options b/applications/test/fileNameOS/Make/options
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..18e6fe47afacb902cddccf82632772447704fd88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/fileNameOS/Make/options
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/* EXE_INC = */
+/* EXE_LIBS = */
diff --git a/applications/test/fileNameOS/Test-fileNameOS.C b/applications/test/fileNameOS/Test-fileNameOS.C
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b8c7be1ac922a48affc1091eac3d6adc5bafa6ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/test/fileNameOS/Test-fileNameOS.C
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
+  =========                 |
+  \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
+   \\    /   O peration     |
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2019 OpenCFD Ltd.
+     \\/     M anipulation  |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+License
+    This file is part of OpenFOAM.
+
+    OpenFOAM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+    under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    OpenFOAM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+    ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+    for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with OpenFOAM.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Application
+    Test-fileNameOS
+
+Description
+    Test fileName behaviour, potential OS capabilities etc.
+
+    In the distant future could possibly replace parts with C++ filesystem
+
+\*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+#include "argList.H"
+#include "fileName.H"
+#include "OSspecific.H"
+#include "Switch.H"
+
+#include <csignal>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <iostream>
+
+
+using namespace Foam;
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+
+void testDirname(const std::string& rawInput)
+{
+    fileName input(fileName::validate(rawInput));
+
+    Info<< nl
+        << "input:   " << rawInput << nl
+        << "fileName:" << input << nl
+        << "   path:" << input.path()
+        << "   name:\"" << input.name() << '"'
+        << "   ext:\"" << input.ext()  << '"'
+        << "   components: " << flatOutput(input.components()) << nl;
+
+    if (rawInput.size() != input.size())
+    {
+        Info<< "   This would be Fatal with debug > 1" << nl;
+    }
+}
+
+
+// * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
+// Main program:
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    argList::noParallel();
+    argList::addBoolOption("no-space", "allowSpaceInFileName = false");
+    argList::addBoolOption("with-space", "set allowSpaceInFileName = true");
+
+    #include "setRootCase.H"
+
+    if (args.found("with-space"))
+    {
+        fileName::allowSpaceInFileName = true;
+    }
+
+    if (args.found("no-space"))
+    {
+        fileName::allowSpaceInFileName = false;
+
+    }
+
+
+    Info<<"fileName with spaces? : "
+        << Switch(bool(fileName::allowSpaceInFileName)) << nl << nl;
+
+
+    {
+        testDirname("/abc");
+        testDirname("/abc/with space/name");
+        testDirname("/abc/with space/more space");
+    }
+
+
+    Info<< "\nEnd\n" << endl;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+// ************************************************************************* //
diff --git a/etc/controlDict b/etc/controlDict
index 3d6c94dd8003e42d21c61b21f81244a474c89b6d..bcc4096734edb9b0b3e008bdef5b981c7cbb9d58 100644
--- a/etc/controlDict
+++ b/etc/controlDict
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ InfoSwitches
 
     // Allow case-supplied C++ code (#codeStream, codedFixedValue)
     allowSystemOperations   1;
+
+    // Allow space character in fileName (use with caution)
+    allowSpaceInFileName    0;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/argList/argList.C b/src/OpenFOAM/global/argList/argList.C
index fea9a4d1466886befe2b5afde4ec71cdb9563e72..e59392ac85f8b5c85a41e0c913d45b8a9c685533 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/argList/argList.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/argList/argList.C
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ void Foam::argList::setCasePaths()
 
     if (optIter.found())
     {
-        caseDir = optIter.val();
+        caseDir = fileName::validate(optIter.val());
         caseDir.clean();
 
         if (caseDir.empty() || caseDir == ".")
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/char.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/char.H
index 25d2504dae1eee479b0210995383852f8d25f367..773d4c7fcdf4e2fd6bf2314dc7f07e14ab7db092 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/char.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/char.H
@@ -47,11 +47,19 @@ class Ostream;
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
-char readChar(Istream&);
-Istream& operator>>(Istream&, char&);
-Ostream& operator<<(Ostream&, const char);
-Ostream& operator<<(Ostream&, const char*);
+//- Read single character
+char readChar(Istream& is);
 
+//- Read single character
+Istream& operator>>(Istream& is, char& c);
+
+//- Write single character
+Ostream& operator<<(Ostream& os, const char c);
+
+//- Write a nul-terminated C-string
+Ostream& operator<<(Ostream& os, const char* str);
+
+//- Test for \em horizontal whitespace
 inline bool isspace(char c)
 {
     return
@@ -63,6 +71,7 @@ inline bool isspace(char c)
     );
 }
 
+
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 } // End namespace Foam
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/charIO.C b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/charIO.C
index 8b578d68d322363a9c8e2eb2a222175e5e77937b..b75790decc2749ea79af1879b9b2c54ba292a765 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/charIO.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/chars/char/charIO.C
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ License
 
 char Foam::readChar(Istream& is)
 {
-   char c;
-   is.read(c);
-   return c;
+    char c;
+    is.read(c);
+    return c;
 }
 
 
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ Foam::Ostream& Foam::operator<<(Ostream& os, const char c)
 }
 
 
-Foam::Ostream& Foam::operator<<(Ostream& os, const char* s)
+Foam::Ostream& Foam::operator<<(Ostream& os, const char* str)
 {
-    os.write(s);
+    os.write(str);
     os.check(FUNCTION_NAME);
     return os;
 }
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C
index e2babf452d3d33afed586b33e69c819a61eed62e..86e7f9ea6ef55a334a418a6dc3843836a17a9c4f 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.C
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@ License
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Static Data Members * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
 const char* const Foam::fileName::typeName = "fileName";
-int Foam::fileName::debug(debug::debugSwitch(fileName::typeName, 0));
+int Foam::fileName::debug(Foam::debug::debugSwitch(fileName::typeName, 0));
+int Foam::fileName::allowSpaceInFileName
+(
+    Foam::debug::infoSwitch("allowSpaceInFileName", 0)
+);
 const Foam::fileName Foam::fileName::null;
 
 
@@ -48,16 +52,27 @@ Foam::fileName Foam::fileName::validate
     const bool doClean
 )
 {
+    // The logic is very similar to stripInvalid,
+    // but silently removes bad characters
+
     fileName out;
     out.resize(s.size());
 
-    char prev = 0;
     std::string::size_type len = 0;
 
-    // Largely as per stripInvalid
+    char prev = 0;
     for (auto iter = s.cbegin(); iter != s.cend(); ++iter)
     {
-        const char c = *iter;
+        char c = *iter;
+
+        // Treat raw backslash like a path separator. There is no "normal"
+        // way for these to be there (except for an OS that uses them), but
+        // could also cause issues when writing strings, shell commands etc.
+
+        if (c == '\\')
+        {
+            c = '/';
+        }
 
         if (fileName::valid(c))
         {
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H
index 413b8d0461a27dae05acac8df800e11bc47e32f8..77b06b97865befecb1117067e42910120a7926ab 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileName.H
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ public:
         //- Debugging
         static int debug;
 
+        //- Allow space character in fileName. To be used with caution.
+        static int allowSpaceInFileName;
+
         //- An empty fileName
         static const fileName null;
 
@@ -141,14 +144,10 @@ public:
         //- Is this character valid for a fileName?
         inline static bool valid(char c);
 
-        //- Construct validated fileName (no invalid characters).
-        //  Optionally perform some additional cleanup such as removing
-        //  duplicate or trailing slashes.
-        static fileName validate
-        (
-            const std::string& s,
-            const bool doClean=false
-        );
+        //- Construct fileName with no invalid characters, possibly applying
+        //- other transformations such as changing the path separator, 
+        //- removing duplicate or trailing slashes, etc.
+        static fileName validate(const std::string& s, const bool doClean=true);
 
         //- This is a specialized (possibly slower) version of compare()
         //- that ignores duplicate or trailing slashes.
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileNameI.H b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileNameI.H
index 083109b105137f43920b9700e7db2e2843da5e07..53b5592efe61b93b460d16833f765c10cc8dc437 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileNameI.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/primitives/strings/fileName/fileNameI.H
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ inline bool Foam::fileName::valid(char c)
 {
     return
     (
-        !isspace(c)
-     && c != '"'   // string quote
-     && c != '\''  // string quote
+        c != '"'    // string quote
+     && c != '\''   // string quote
+     && (!isspace(c) || (allowSpaceInFileName && c == ' '))
     );
 }
 
@@ -134,7 +134,10 @@ inline void Foam::fileName::stripInvalid()
 
 inline bool Foam::fileName::isAbsolute(const std::string& str)
 {
-    return !str.empty() && str[0] == '/';
+    return
+    (
+        !str.empty() && str[0] == '/'
+    );
 }