diff --git a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go
index f9b2a3c0..600ac32f 100644
--- a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go
+++ b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	dto "github.com/prometheus/client_model/go"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
@@ -51,8 +52,26 @@ func MetricFamilyToOpenMetrics20(out io.Writer, in *dto.MetricFamily, options ..
 	if containsRawNewline(name) {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily name %q contains raw newlines", name)
 	}
-	if in.Unit != nil && containsRawNewline(*in.Unit) {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily unit %q contains raw newlines", *in.Unit)
+	if !utf8.ValidString(name) {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily name %q is not valid UTF-8", name)
+	}
+	if in.Help != nil {
+		if !utf8.ValidString(*in.Help) {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily help %q is not valid UTF-8", *in.Help)
+		}
+		// A carriage return may appear in HELP, but not at the end, where it
+		// would make the line end in "\r\n".
+		if strings.HasSuffix(*in.Help, "\r") {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily help %q ends with a carriage return", *in.Help)
+		}
+	}
+	if in.Unit != nil {
+		if containsRawNewline(*in.Unit) {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily unit %q contains raw newlines", *in.Unit)
+		}
+		if !utf8.ValidString(*in.Unit) {
+			return 0, fmt.Errorf("MetricFamily unit %q is not valid UTF-8", *in.Unit)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Try the interface upgrade. If it doesn't work, we'll use a
diff --git a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go
index ff08eee4..4c42f3b2 100644
--- a/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go
+++ b/expfmt/openmetrics_2_0_create_test.go
@@ -304,6 +304,18 @@ http_requests_total 1027.0
 http_requests_total 1027.0
 `,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "CarriageReturnInsideHelp",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("http_requests_total"),
+				Help: proto.String("a\rb"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{Counter: &dto.Counter{Value: proto.Float64(1027)}},
+				},
+			},
+			out: "# HELP http_requests_total a\rb\n# TYPE http_requests_total counter\nhttp_requests_total 1027.0\n",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "CounterWithNaNExemplar",
 			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
@@ -2155,6 +2167,53 @@ func TestCreateOpenMetrics20_Errors(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expectedErr: "contains raw newlines",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "InvalidUTF8InMetricName",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("test_counter\xff"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{Counter: &dto.Counter{Value: proto.Float64(1.0)}},
+				},
+			},
+			expectedErr: "is not valid UTF-8",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "InvalidUTF8InHelp",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("test_counter_total"),
+				Help: proto.String("help \xff"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{Counter: &dto.Counter{Value: proto.Float64(1.0)}},
+				},
+			},
+			expectedErr: "is not valid UTF-8",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "CarriageReturnAtEndOfHelp",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("test_counter_total"),
+				Help: proto.String("help\r"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{Counter: &dto.Counter{Value: proto.Float64(1.0)}},
+				},
+			},
+			expectedErr: "ends with a carriage return",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "InvalidUTF8InUnit",
+			in: &dto.MetricFamily{
+				Name: proto.String("test_counter_total"),
+				Type: dto.MetricType_COUNTER.Enum(),
+				Unit: proto.String("seconds\xff"),
+				Metric: []*dto.Metric{
+					{Counter: &dto.Counter{Value: proto.Float64(1.0)}},
+				},
+			},
+			expectedErr: "is not valid UTF-8",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "NilMetric",
 			in: &dto.MetricFamily{