diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6c80142361..907f0f7f1f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Main
+
+- Bug fix: Better handler malformed alias-regex given to nickhandler. A
+  regex-relevant character in a channel alias could cause server to not restart.
+- Add `attr` keyword to `create_channel`. This allows setting attributes on
+  channels at creation, also from `DEFAULT_CHANNELS` definitions.
+
 ## Evennia 1.1.0
 Jan 7, 2023
 
diff --git a/evennia/comms/comms.py b/evennia/comms/comms.py
index 9c31951a15..9a68d31d36 100644
--- a/evennia/comms/comms.py
+++ b/evennia/comms/comms.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 Base typeclass for in-game Channels.
 
 """
+import re
+
 from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.text import slugify
@@ -476,7 +478,7 @@ class DefaultChannel(ChannelDB, metaclass=TypeclassBase):
 
         # the message-pattern allows us to type the channel on its own without
         # needing to use the `channel` command explicitly.
-        msg_nick_pattern = self.channel_msg_nick_pattern.format(alias=alias)
+        msg_nick_pattern = self.channel_msg_nick_pattern.format(alias=re.escape(alias))
         msg_nick_replacement = self.channel_msg_nick_replacement.format(channelname=chan_key)
         user.nicks.add(
             msg_nick_pattern,
diff --git a/evennia/typeclasses/attributes.py b/evennia/typeclasses/attributes.py
index 709dcdc8dd..2fc7a5533e 100644
--- a/evennia/typeclasses/attributes.py
+++ b/evennia/typeclasses/attributes.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import models
 from django.utils.encoding import smart_str
-
 from evennia.locks.lockhandler import LockHandler
 from evennia.utils.dbserialize import from_pickle, to_pickle
 from evennia.utils.idmapper.models import SharedMemoryModel
@@ -339,10 +338,12 @@ class Attribute(IAttribute, SharedMemoryModel):
     db_value = PickledObjectField(
         "value",
         null=True,
-        help_text="The data returned when the attribute is accessed. Must be "
-        "written as a Python literal if editing through the admin "
-        "interface. Attribute values which are not Python literals "
-        "cannot be edited through the admin interface.",
+        help_text=(
+            "The data returned when the attribute is accessed. Must be "
+            "written as a Python literal if editing through the admin "
+            "interface. Attribute values which are not Python literals "
+            "cannot be edited through the admin interface."
+        ),
     )
     db_strvalue = models.TextField(
         "strvalue", null=True, blank=True, help_text="String-specific storage for quick look-up"
@@ -365,9 +366,11 @@ class Attribute(IAttribute, SharedMemoryModel):
         db_index=True,
         blank=True,
         null=True,
-        help_text="Which model of object this attribute is attached to (A "
-        "natural key like 'objects.objectdb'). You should not change "
-        "this value unless you know what you are doing.",
+        help_text=(
+            "Which model of object this attribute is attached to (A "
+            "natural key like 'objects.objectdb'). You should not change "
+            "this value unless you know what you are doing."
+        ),
     )
     # subclass of Attribute (None or nick)
     db_attrtype = models.CharField(
@@ -1734,7 +1737,13 @@ class NickHandler(AttributeHandler):
             nick_regex, template, _, _ = nick.value
             regex = self._regex_cache.get(nick_regex)
             if not regex:
-                regex = re.compile(nick_regex, re.I + re.DOTALL + re.U)
+                try:
+                    regex = re.compile(nick_regex, re.I + re.DOTALL + re.U)
+                except re.error:
+                    from evennia.utils import logger
+
+                    logger.log_trace("Probably nick being created with unvalidated regex mapping.")
+                    continue
                 self._regex_cache[nick_regex] = regex
 
             is_match, raw_string = parse_nick_template(raw_string, regex, template)
diff --git a/evennia/typeclasses/tests.py b/evennia/typeclasses/tests.py
index 0c777718da..a7793ad79f 100644
--- a/evennia/typeclasses/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/typeclasses/tests.py
@@ -4,11 +4,10 @@ Unit tests for typeclass base system
 """
 
 from django.test import override_settings
-from mock import patch
-from parameterized import parameterized
-
 from evennia.objects.objects import DefaultObject
 from evennia.utils.test_resources import BaseEvenniaTest, EvenniaTestCase
+from mock import patch
+from parameterized import parameterized
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------
 # Manager tests
@@ -432,3 +431,17 @@ class TestNickHandler(BaseEvenniaTest):
 
         self.assertEqual(expected_replaced, actual_replaced)
         self.char1.nicks.clear()
+
+    def test_nick_with_parenthesis(self):
+        """
+        Test case where input has a special character
+
+        """
+        import re
+
+        from evennia.typeclasses.attributes import initialize_nick_templates
+
+        nick_regex, replacement_string = initialize_nick_templates(
+            re.escape("OOC["), "ooc", pattern_is_regex=True
+        )
+        re.compile(nick_regex, re.I + re.DOTALL + re.U)