diff --git a/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands.go b/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands.go
index 38da02d5..adf08b53 100644
--- a/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands.go
+++ b/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"text/tabwriter"
@@ -355,50 +356,65 @@ func buildRouteCommand() *cli.Command {
 		Name:   "route",
 		Action: cliutil.ErrorHandler(routeCommand),
 		Usage:  "Define what hostname or load balancer can route to this tunnel",
-		Description: `The route defines what hostname or load balancer can route to this tunnel.
+		Description: `The route defines what hostname or load balancer will proxy requests to this tunnel.
 
-   To route a hostname: cloudflared tunnel route dns <tunnel ID> <hostname>
-   To use this tunnel as a load balancer origin: cloudflared tunnel route lb <tunnel ID> <load balancer name> <load balancer pool>`,
+   To route a hostname by creating a CNAME to tunnel's address:
+      cloudflared tunnel route dns <tunnel ID> <hostname>
+   To use this tunnel as a load balancer origin, creating pool and load balancer if necessary:
+      cloudflared tunnel route lb <tunnel ID> <load balancer name> <load balancer pool>`,
 		ArgsUsage: "dns|lb TUNNEL HOSTNAME [LB-POOL]",
 	}
 }
 
-func dnsRouteFromArg(c *cli.Context, tunnelID uuid.UUID) (tunnelstore.Route, error) {
+func dnsRouteFromArg(c *cli.Context) (tunnelstore.Route, error) {
 	const (
 		userHostnameIndex = 2
-		expectArgs        = 3
+		expectedNArgs     = 3
 	)
-	if c.NArg() != expectArgs {
-		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("Expect %d arguments, got %d", expectArgs, c.NArg())
+	if c.NArg() != expectedNArgs {
+		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("Expected %d arguments, got %d", expectedNArgs, c.NArg())
 	}
 	userHostname := c.Args().Get(userHostnameIndex)
 	if userHostname == "" {
 		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("The third argument should be the hostname")
+	} else if !validateName(userHostname) {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("%s is not a valid hostname", userHostname)
 	}
 	return tunnelstore.NewDNSRoute(userHostname), nil
 }
 
-func lbRouteFromArg(c *cli.Context, tunnelID uuid.UUID) (tunnelstore.Route, error) {
+func lbRouteFromArg(c *cli.Context) (tunnelstore.Route, error) {
 	const (
 		lbNameIndex   = 2
 		lbPoolIndex   = 3
-		expectMinArgs = 3
+		expectedNArgs = 4
 	)
-	if c.NArg() < expectMinArgs {
-		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("Expect at least %d arguments, got %d", expectMinArgs, c.NArg())
+	if c.NArg() != expectedNArgs {
+		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("Expected %d arguments, got %d", expectedNArgs, c.NArg())
 	}
 	lbName := c.Args().Get(lbNameIndex)
 	if lbName == "" {
 		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("The third argument should be the load balancer name")
+	} else if !validateName(lbName) {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("%s is not a valid load balancer name", lbName)
 	}
+
 	lbPool := c.Args().Get(lbPoolIndex)
 	if lbPool == "" {
-		lbPool = defaultPoolName(tunnelID)
+		return nil, cliutil.UsageError("The fourth argument should be the pool name")
+	} else if !validateName(lbPool) {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("%s is not a valid pool name", lbPool)
 	}
 
 	return tunnelstore.NewLBRoute(lbName, lbPool), nil
 }
 
+var nameRegex = regexp.MustCompile("^[_a-zA-Z0-9][-_.a-zA-Z0-9]*$")
+
+func validateName(s string) bool {
+	return nameRegex.MatchString(s)
+}
+
 func routeCommand(c *cli.Context) error {
 	if c.NArg() < 2 {
 		return cliutil.UsageError(`"cloudflared tunnel route" requires the first argument to be the route type(dns or lb), followed by the ID or name of the tunnel`)
@@ -419,7 +435,7 @@ func routeCommand(c *cli.Context) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		r, err = dnsRouteFromArg(c, tunnelID)
+		r, err = dnsRouteFromArg(c)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -428,7 +444,7 @@ func routeCommand(c *cli.Context) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		r, err = lbRouteFromArg(c, tunnelID)
+		r, err = lbRouteFromArg(c)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -443,6 +459,3 @@ func routeCommand(c *cli.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func defaultPoolName(tunnelID uuid.UUID) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("tunnel:%v", tunnelID)
-}
diff --git a/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands_test.go b/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands_test.go
index 343419ee..fb1bbbdf 100644
--- a/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands_test.go
+++ b/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel/subcommands_test.go
@@ -98,3 +98,27 @@ func TestTunnelfilePath(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := fmt.Sprintf("%s/.cloudflared/%v.json", homeDir, tunnelID)
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, actual)
 }
+
+func TestValidateName(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{name: "", want: false},
+		{name: "-", want: false},
+		{name: ".", want: false},
+		{name: "a b", want: false},
+		{name: "a+b", want: false},
+		{name: "-ab", want: false},
+
+		{name: "ab", want: true},
+		{name: "ab-c", want: true},
+		{name: "abc.def", want: true},
+		{name: "_ab_c.-d-ef", want: true},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		if got := validateName(tt.name); got != tt.want {
+			t.Errorf("validateName() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file