diff --git a/runner/pool/pool.go b/runner/pool/pool.go
index 9670e1d2..897939b6 100644
--- a/runner/pool/pool.go
+++ b/runner/pool/pool.go
@@ -33,9 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"garm/util"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-github/v48/github"
-	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	"github.com/teris-io/shortid"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -396,11 +394,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) AddRunner(ctx context.Context, poolID string) error {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "fetching pool")
 	}
 
-	suffix, err := shortid.Generate()
-	if err != nil {
-		suffix = uuid.New().String()
-	}
-	name := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", pool.GetRunnerPrefix(), suffix)
+	name := fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", pool.GetRunnerPrefix(), util.NewID())
 
 	createParams := params.CreateInstanceParams{
 		Name:          name,
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
index e7129929..57b9f72b 100644
--- a/util/util.go
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@ import (
 	"garm/runner/common"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-github/v48/github"
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	gorillaHandlers "github.com/gorilla/handlers"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/teris-io/shortid"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
 	"golang.org/x/oauth2"
 	lumberjack "gopkg.in/natefinch/lumberjack.v2"
@@ -331,3 +333,27 @@ func NewLoggingMiddleware(writer io.Writer) func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 func SanitizeLogEntry(entry string) string {
 	return strings.Replace(strings.Replace(entry, "\n", "", -1), "\r", "", -1)
 }
+
+func randomCharacter() string {
+	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
+		character, err := GetRandomString(1)
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		return character
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func NewID() string {
+	newID, err := shortid.Generate()
+	if err != nil {
+		newID = uuid.New().String()
+	} else {
+		// remove underscores and hyphens from short ID. The hypens will remain
+		// if we are forced to fall back to uuid4.
+		newID = strings.Replace(newID, "_", randomCharacter(), -1)
+		newID = strings.Replace(newID, "-", randomCharacter(), -1)
+	}
+	return newID
+}