diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLock.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLock.java
index 5e8c5418185..fcd02f3bd40 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLock.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLock.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public String toString() {
 
   public final static class FateLockEntry {
 
-    private static final String DELIMITER = "_";
+    private static final String DELIMITER = "~";
 
     final LockType lockType;
     final FateId fateId;
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ private FateLockEntry(LockType lockType, FateId fateId, LockRange range) {
     }
 
     private FateLockEntry(String entry) {
-      var fields = entry.split(DELIMITER, 4);
+      var fields = entry.split(DELIMITER);
+      Preconditions.checkArgument(fields.length == 4, entry);
       this.lockType = LockType.valueOf(fields[0]);
       this.fateId = FateId.from(fields[1]);
       this.range = LockRange.of(decodeRow(fields[2]), decodeRow(fields[3]));
@@ -109,13 +110,13 @@ private String encodeRow(Text row) {
       if (row == null) {
         return "N";
       } else {
-        return "P" + Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(TextUtil.getBytes(row));
+        return "P" + Base64.getUrlEncoder().encodeToString(TextUtil.getBytes(row));
       }
     }
 
     private Text decodeRow(String enc) {
       if (enc.charAt(0) == 'P') {
-        return new Text(Base64.getDecoder().decode(enc.substring(1)));
+        return new Text(Base64.getUrlDecoder().decode(enc.substring(1)));
       } else if (enc.charAt(0) == 'N') {
         return null;
       } else {
@@ -123,9 +124,15 @@ private Text decodeRow(String enc) {
       }
     }
 
+    private String checkForDelimiter(String s) {
+      Preconditions.checkArgument(!s.contains(DELIMITER), s);
+      return s;
+    }
+
     public String serialize() {
-      return lockType.name() + DELIMITER + fateId.canonical() + DELIMITER
-          + encodeRow(range.getStartRow()) + DELIMITER + encodeRow(range.getEndRow());
+      return checkForDelimiter(lockType.name()) + DELIMITER + checkForDelimiter(fateId.canonical())
+          + DELIMITER + checkForDelimiter(encodeRow(range.getStartRow())) + DELIMITER
+          + checkForDelimiter(encodeRow(range.getEndRow()));
     }
 
     public static FateLockEntry from(LockType lockType, FateId fateId, LockRange range) {
@@ -183,19 +190,21 @@ public final static class NodeName {
   public long addEntry(FateLockEntry entry) {
 
     String dataString = entry.serialize();
-    Preconditions.checkState(!dataString.contains("#"));
+    Preconditions.checkState(!dataString.contains("#") && !dataString.contains("/"), dataString);
 
     String newPath;
     try {
       while (true) {
         try {
-          newPath =
-              zoo.putPersistentSequential(path + "/" + PREFIX + dataString + "#", new byte[0]);
+          var prefix = path + "/" + PREFIX + dataString + "#";
+          log.trace("Attempting to create {} in zookeeper", prefix);
+          newPath = zoo.putPersistentSequential(prefix, new byte[0]);
           String[] parts = newPath.split("/");
           String last = parts[parts.length - 1];
           return new NodeName(last).sequence;
         } catch (NoNodeException nne) {
           // the parent does not exist so try to create it
+          log.trace("Attempting to create parent {}", path.toString(), nne);
           zoo.putPersistentData(path.toString(), new byte[] {}, NodeExistsPolicy.SKIP);
         }
       }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLockTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLockTest.java
index 3ae75e33af6..eea6f610acf 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLockTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/fate/zookeeper/FateLockTest.java
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public class FateLockTest {
   public void testParsing() {
     var fateId = FateId.from(FateInstanceType.USER, UUID.randomUUID());
     // ZooKeeper docs state that sequence numbers are formatted using %010d
-    String lockData = "WRITE_" + fateId.canonical() + "_N_N";
+    String lockData = "WRITE~" + fateId.canonical() + "~N~N";
     var lockNode =
         new FateLock.NodeName(FateLock.PREFIX + lockData + "#" + String.format("%010d", 40));
     assertEquals(40, lockNode.sequence);