diff --git a/core/src/query.rs b/core/src/query.rs
index 7ea09b00..6aec4ed0 100644
--- a/core/src/query.rs
+++ b/core/src/query.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 //! Query constructors
 
-use crate::errors::PgmqError;
+use crate::{errors::PgmqError, util::CheckedName};
 use sqlx::types::chrono::Utc;
 pub const TABLE_PREFIX: &str = r#"pgmq"#;
 pub const PGMQ_SCHEMA: &str = "public";
 
 pub fn init_queue(name: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+    let name = CheckedName::new(name)?;
     Ok(vec![
         create_meta(),
         create_queue(name)?,
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ pub fn init_queue(name: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>, PgmqError> {
 }
 
 pub fn destroy_queue(name: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+    let name = CheckedName::new(name)?;
     Ok(vec![
         drop_queue(name)?,
         delete_queue_index(name)?,
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ pub fn destroy_queue(name: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>, PgmqError> {
     ])
 }
 
-pub fn create_queue(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn create_queue(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name} (
@@ -44,8 +43,7 @@ pub fn create_queue(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn create_archive(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn create_archive(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name}_archive (
@@ -95,20 +93,17 @@ pub fn grant_pgmon_meta() -> String {
 }
 
 // pg_monitor needs to query queue tables
-pub fn grant_pgmon_queue(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn grant_pgmon_queue(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     let table = format!("{PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name}");
     Ok(grant_stmt(&table))
 }
 
-pub fn grant_pgmon_queue_seq(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn grant_pgmon_queue_seq(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     let table = format!("{PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name}_msg_id_seq");
     Ok(grant_stmt(&table))
 }
 
-pub fn drop_queue(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn drop_queue(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name};
@@ -116,8 +111,7 @@ pub fn drop_queue(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn delete_queue_index(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn delete_queue_index(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         DROP INDEX IF EXISTS {TABLE_PREFIX}_{name}.vt_idx_{name};
@@ -125,8 +119,7 @@ pub fn delete_queue_index(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn delete_queue_metadata(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn delete_queue_metadata(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         DO $$
@@ -145,8 +138,7 @@ pub fn delete_queue_metadata(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn drop_queue_archive(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn drop_queue_archive(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name}_archive;
@@ -154,8 +146,7 @@ pub fn drop_queue_archive(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn insert_meta(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn insert_meta(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         INSERT INTO {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_meta (queue_name)
@@ -166,8 +157,7 @@ pub fn insert_meta(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn create_archive_index(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn create_archive_index(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS deleted_at_idx_{name} ON {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name}_archive (deleted_at);
@@ -176,8 +166,7 @@ pub fn create_archive_index(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
 }
 
 // indexes are created ascending to support FIFO
-pub fn create_index(name: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+pub fn create_index(name: CheckedName<'_>) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS msg_id_vt_idx_{name} ON {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{name} (vt ASC, msg_id ASC);
@@ -192,7 +181,7 @@ pub fn enqueue(
 ) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     // construct string of comma separated messages
     check_input(name)?;
-    let mut values: String = "".to_owned();
+    let mut values = "".to_owned();
     for message in messages.iter() {
         let full_msg = format!(
             "((now() at time zone 'utc' + interval '{delay} seconds'), '{message}'::json),"
@@ -330,7 +319,8 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_create() {
-        let query = create_queue("yolo");
+        let queue_name = CheckedName::new("yolo").unwrap();
+        let query = create_queue(queue_name);
         assert!(query.unwrap().contains("pgmq_yolo"));
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/util.rs b/core/src/util.rs
index f6d40b9c..06a91416 100644
--- a/core/src/util.rs
+++ b/core/src/util.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+use std::fmt::Display;
+
+use crate::query::check_input;
 use crate::{Message, PgmqError};
 use log::LevelFilter;
 use serde::Deserialize;
@@ -63,3 +66,28 @@ pub async fn fetch_one_message<T: for<'de> Deserialize<'de>>(
         Err(e) => Err(e)?,
     }
 }
+
+/// A string that is known to be formed of only ASCII alphanumeric or an underscore;
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+pub struct CheckedName<'a>(&'a str);
+
+impl<'a> CheckedName<'a> {
+    /// Accepts `input` as a CheckedName if it is a valid queue identifier
+    pub fn new(input: &'a str) -> Result<Self, PgmqError> {
+        check_input(input)?;
+
+        Ok(Self(input))
+    }
+}
+
+impl AsRef<str> for CheckedName<'_> {
+    fn as_ref(&self) -> &str {
+        self.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl Display for CheckedName<'_> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.write_str(self.0)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/partition.rs b/src/partition.rs
index 011d5b69..55880c9b 100644
--- a/src/partition.rs
+++ b/src/partition.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ use pgrx::prelude::*;
 use pgmq_crate::{
     errors::PgmqError,
     query::{
-        check_input, create_archive, create_index, create_meta, grant_pgmon_meta,
-        grant_pgmon_queue, grant_pgmon_queue_seq, insert_meta, PGMQ_SCHEMA, TABLE_PREFIX,
+        create_archive, create_index, create_meta, grant_pgmon_meta, grant_pgmon_queue,
+        grant_pgmon_queue_seq, insert_meta, PGMQ_SCHEMA, TABLE_PREFIX,
     },
+    util::CheckedName,
 };
 
 // for now, put pg_partman in the public PGMQ_SCHEMA
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ pub fn init_partitioned_queue(
     partition_interval: &str,
     retention_interval: &str,
 ) -> Result<Vec<String>, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(name)?;
+    let name = CheckedName::new(name)?;
     let partition_col = map_partition_col(partition_interval);
     Ok(vec![
         create_meta(),
@@ -44,8 +45,10 @@ fn map_partition_col(partition_interval: &str) -> &'static str {
     }
 }
 
-fn create_partitioned_queue(queue: &str, partition_col: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(queue)?;
+fn create_partitioned_queue(
+    queue: CheckedName<'_>,
+    partition_col: &str,
+) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{queue} (
@@ -59,8 +62,10 @@ fn create_partitioned_queue(queue: &str, partition_col: &str) -> Result<String,
     ))
 }
 
-pub fn create_partitioned_index(queue: &str, partiton_col: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(queue)?;
+pub fn create_partitioned_index(
+    queue: CheckedName<'_>,
+    partiton_col: &str,
+) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS pgmq_partition_idx_{queue} ON {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.{TABLE_PREFIX}_{queue} ({partiton_col});
@@ -69,7 +74,7 @@ pub fn create_partitioned_index(queue: &str, partiton_col: &str) -> Result<Strin
 }
 
 fn create_partitioned_table(
-    queue: &str,
+    queue: CheckedName<'_>,
     partition_col: &str,
     partition_interval: &str,
 ) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
@@ -86,8 +91,7 @@ fn create_partitioned_table(
 // messages .archived() will be retained forever on the `<queue_name>_archive` table
 // https://github.com/pgpartman/pg_partman/blob/ca212077f66af19c0ca317c206091cd31d3108b8/doc/pg_partman.md#retention
 // integer value will set that any partitions with an id value less than the current maximum id value minus the retention value will be dropped
-fn set_retention_config(queue: &str, retention: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
-    check_input(queue)?;
+fn set_retention_config(queue: CheckedName<'_>, retention: &str) -> Result<String, PgmqError> {
     Ok(format!(
         "
         UPDATE {PGMQ_SCHEMA}.part_config