diff --git a/packages/cli/src/create/__tests__/utils.spec.ts b/packages/cli/src/create/__tests__/utils.spec.ts
index 4217b4b216..611d99a986 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/create/__tests__/utils.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/create/__tests__/utils.spec.ts
@@ -111,12 +111,40 @@ describe('deriveDefaultPackageName', () => {
   });
 
   it('should fallback to random name when directory name is invalid', () => {
-    const result = deriveDefaultPackageName('/home/user/.hidden', undefined, 'vite-plus-app');
-    // directory name starts with '.', so a random name is generated instead
-    expect(result).not.toBe('.hidden');
+    const result = deriveDefaultPackageName('/home/user/!!!', undefined, 'vite-plus-app');
+    // nothing in the directory name survives sanitization, so a random name is generated instead
+    expect(result).not.toContain('!');
     expect(result.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
   });
 
+  it('should sanitize a directory name rather than inventing an unrelated one', () => {
+    expect(
+      deriveDefaultPackageName(
+        '/home/user/ComfyUI-DenoiseHQNodes.feat-1-save-image-node',
+        undefined,
+        'vite-plus-app',
+      ),
+    ).toBe('comfyui-denoisehqnodes.feat-1-save-image-node');
+  });
+
+  it('should replace characters that are not valid in a package name', () => {
+    expect(deriveDefaultPackageName('/home/user/My App (v2)!', undefined, 'vite-plus-app')).toBe(
+      'my-app-v2',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should strip leading characters npm forbids instead of generating a name', () => {
+    expect(deriveDefaultPackageName('/home/user/.hidden', undefined, 'vite-plus-app')).toBe(
+      'hidden',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should sanitize the directory name while keeping the scope', () => {
+    expect(deriveDefaultPackageName('/home/user/My-App', '@my-scope', 'vite-plus-app')).toBe(
+      '@my-scope/my-app',
+    );
+  });
+
   it('should fallback when directory is filesystem root', () => {
     const result = deriveDefaultPackageName('/', undefined, 'vite-plus-app');
     // basename of '/' is empty, so a random name is generated
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/create/utils.ts b/packages/cli/src/create/utils.ts
index 3dc77c3081..efe109a43a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/create/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/create/utils.ts
@@ -274,6 +274,21 @@ export function formatDisplayTargetDir(targetDir: string) {
   return `./${normalized}`;
 }
 
+const MAX_PACKAGE_NAME_LENGTH = 214;
+
+// Turn a directory name into the closest npm-compatible name: lowercase it and
+// replace characters npm rejects, so a directory like `My-App.v2` keeps its
+// identity as `my-app.v2` instead of being swapped for an unrelated name.
+function sanitizePackageNameSegment(dirName: string): string {
+  return dirName
+    .toLowerCase()
+    .replace(/[^a-z0-9\-._]+/g, '-')
+    .replace(/-{2,}/g, '-')
+    .replace(/^[-._]+/, '')
+    .slice(0, MAX_PACKAGE_NAME_LENGTH)
+    .replace(/[-.]+$/, '');
+}
+
 export function deriveDefaultPackageName(
   cwd: string,
   scope: string | undefined,
@@ -281,7 +296,15 @@ export function deriveDefaultPackageName(
 ): string {
   const dirName = path.basename(cwd);
   const candidate = scope ? `${scope}/${dirName}` : dirName;
-  return validateNpmPackageName(candidate).validForNewPackages
-    ? candidate
-    : getRandomProjectName({ scope, fallbackName });
+  if (validateNpmPackageName(candidate).validForNewPackages) {
+    return candidate;
+  }
+  const sanitized = sanitizePackageNameSegment(dirName);
+  if (sanitized) {
+    const sanitizedCandidate = scope ? `${scope}/${sanitized}` : sanitized;
+    if (validateNpmPackageName(sanitizedCandidate).validForNewPackages) {
+      return sanitizedCandidate;
+    }
+  }
+  return getRandomProjectName({ scope, fallbackName });
 }