diff --git a/lib/compress.js b/lib/compress.js
index ebd3dd7a..992d78f8 100644
--- a/lib/compress.js
+++ b/lib/compress.js
@@ -1962,7 +1962,8 @@ merge(Compressor.prototype, {
         var prop = self.property;
         if (prop instanceof AST_String && compressor.option("properties")) {
             prop = prop.getValue();
-            if (is_identifier(prop) || compressor.option("screw_ie8")) {
+            if (compressor.option("screw_ie8") && RESERVED_WORDS(prop)
+                || !(RESERVED_WORDS(prop)) && is_identifier_string(prop)) {
                 return make_node(AST_Dot, self, {
                     expression : self.expression,
                     property   : prop
diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index da39b5b1..b5f605a6 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -167,6 +167,14 @@ function is_identifier_char(ch) {
     ;
 };
 
+function is_identifier_string(string){
+    for(var i in string) {
+        if(!is_identifier_char(string[i]))
+            return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 function parse_js_number(num) {
     if (RE_HEX_NUMBER.test(num)) {
         return parseInt(num.substr(2), 16);
diff --git a/test/compress/properties.js b/test/compress/properties.js
index 9b066ec9..d52680c2 100644
--- a/test/compress/properties.js
+++ b/test/compress/properties.js
@@ -17,10 +17,14 @@ dot_properties: {
     input: {
         a["foo"] = "bar";
         a["if"] = "if";
+        a["*"] = "asterisk";
+        a["\u0EB3"] = "unicode";
     }
     expect: {
         a.foo = "bar";
         a["if"] = "if";
+        a["*"] = "asterisk";
+        a.\u0EB3 = "unicode";
     }
 }
 
@@ -32,9 +36,13 @@ dot_properties_es5: {
     input: {
         a["foo"] = "bar";
         a["if"] = "if";
+        a["*"] = "asterisk";
+        a["\u0EB3"] = "unicode";
     }
     expect: {
         a.foo = "bar";
         a.if = "if";
+        a["*"] = "asterisk";
+        a.\u0EB3 = "unicode";
     }
 }