diff --git a/.all-contributorsrc b/.all-contributorsrc
index 0a77c92c..a4c7d8fb 100644
--- a/.all-contributorsrc
+++ b/.all-contributorsrc
@@ -180,6 +180,16 @@
       "contributions": [
         "bug"
       ]
+    },
+    {
+      "login": "tdeschryver",
+      "name": "Tim Deschryver",
+      "avatar_url": "https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/28659384?v=4",
+      "profile": "https://github.com/tdeschryver",
+      "contributions": [
+        "code",
+        "test"
+      ]
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bd009630..d2c35efd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 [![downloads][downloads-badge]][npmtrends]
 [![MIT License][license-badge]][license]
 
-[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-17-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors)
+[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-18-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors)
 [![PRs Welcome][prs-badge]][prs]
 [![Code of Conduct][coc-badge]][coc]
 
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ Thanks goes to these people ([emoji key][emojis]):
 | [<img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/1500684?v=3" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Kent C. Dodds</b></sub>](https://kentcdodds.com)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=kentcdodds "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=kentcdodds "Documentation") [🚇](#infra-kentcdodds "Infrastructure (Hosting, Build-Tools, etc)") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=kentcdodds "Tests") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/2430381?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Ryan Castner</b></sub>](http://audiolion.github.io)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=audiolion "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/8008023?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Daniel Sandiego</b></sub>](https://www.dnlsandiego.com)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dnlsandiego "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/12592677?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Paweł Mikołajczyk</b></sub>](https://github.com/Miklet)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=Miklet "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/464978?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Alejandro Ñáñez Ortiz</b></sub>](http://co.linkedin.com/in/alejandronanez/)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=alejandronanez "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/1402095?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Matt Parrish</b></sub>](https://github.com/pbomb)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/issues?q=author%3Apbomb "Bug reports") [💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=pbomb "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=pbomb "Documentation") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=pbomb "Tests") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/1288694?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Justin Hall</b></sub>](https://github.com/wKovacs64)<br />[📦](#platform-wKovacs64 "Packaging/porting to new platform") |
 | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: |
 | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/1241511?s=460&v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Anto Aravinth</b></sub>](https://github.com/antoaravinth)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=antoaravinth "Code") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=antoaravinth "Tests") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=antoaravinth "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/3462296?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Jonah Moses</b></sub>](https://github.com/JonahMoses)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=JonahMoses "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/4002543?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Łukasz Gandecki</b></sub>](http://team.thebrain.pro)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=lgandecki "Code") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=lgandecki "Tests") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=lgandecki "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/498274?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Ivan Babak</b></sub>](https://sompylasar.github.io)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/issues?q=author%3Asompylasar "Bug reports") [🤔](#ideas-sompylasar "Ideas, Planning, & Feedback") [💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=sompylasar "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=sompylasar "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/4439618?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Jesse Day</b></sub>](https://github.com/jday3)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=jday3 "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/15199?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Ernesto García</b></sub>](http://gnapse.github.io)<br />[💬](#question-gnapse "Answering Questions") [💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=gnapse "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=gnapse "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/2747424?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Josef Maxx Blake</b></sub>](http://jomaxx.com)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=jomaxx "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=jomaxx "Documentation") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=jomaxx "Tests") |
-| [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/725236?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Alex Cook</b></sub>](https://github.com/alecook)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=alecook "Documentation") [💡](#example-alecook "Examples") | [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/10348212?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Daniel Cook</b></sub>](https://github.com/dfcook)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dfcook "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dfcook "Documentation") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dfcook "Tests") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/21194045?s=400&v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Thomas Chia</b></sub>](https://github.com/thchia)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/issues?q=author%3Athchia "Bug reports") |
+| [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/725236?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Alex Cook</b></sub>](https://github.com/alecook)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=alecook "Documentation") [💡](#example-alecook "Examples") | [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/10348212?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Daniel Cook</b></sub>](https://github.com/dfcook)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dfcook "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dfcook "Documentation") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=dfcook "Tests") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/21194045?s=400&v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Thomas Chia</b></sub>](https://github.com/thchia)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/issues?q=author%3Athchia "Bug reports") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/28659384?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Tim Deschryver</b></sub>](https://github.com/tdeschryver)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=tdeschryver "Code") [⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/commits?author=tdeschryver "Tests") |
 
 <!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:END -->
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/element-queries.js b/src/__tests__/element-queries.js
index 3e8f8871..bd2e8343 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/element-queries.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/element-queries.js
@@ -62,11 +62,16 @@ test('get can get form controls by label text', () => {
         <label id="third-label">3rd</label>
         <input aria-labelledby="third-label" id="third-id" />
       </div>
+      <div>
+        <label for="fourth.id">4th</label>
+        <input id="fourth.id" />
+      </div>
     </div>
   `)
   expect(getByLabelText('1st').id).toBe('first-id')
   expect(getByLabelText('2nd').id).toBe('second-id')
   expect(getByLabelText('3rd').id).toBe('third-id')
+  expect(getByLabelText('4th').id).toBe('fourth.id')
 })
 
 test('get can get form controls by placeholder', () => {
diff --git a/src/queries.js b/src/queries.js
index c4042e2a..0fca2995 100644
--- a/src/queries.js
+++ b/src/queries.js
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ function queryByLabelText(container, text, {selector = '*'} = {}) {
     // but this would be the proper way to do things
     return label.control
   } else if (label.getAttribute('for')) {
+    // we're using this notation because with the # selector we would have to escape special characters e.g. user.name
+    // see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/querySelector#Escaping_special_characters
     // <label for="someId">text</label><input id="someId" />
-    return container.querySelector(`#${label.getAttribute('for')}`)
+    return container.querySelector(`[id="${label.getAttribute('for')}"]`)
   } else if (label.getAttribute('id')) {
     // <label id="someId">text</label><input aria-labelledby="someId" />
     return container.querySelector(