diff --git a/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.cpp.ref b/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.cpp.ref
--- a/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.cpp.ref
+++ b/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.cpp.ref
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
   {
     KConfigSkeleton::ItemEnum::Choice choice;
     choice.name = QStringLiteral("CrashNBurn");
+    choice.val = QStringLiteral("Crash and Burn");
     valuesMouseAction.append( choice );
   }
   {
diff --git a/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.kcfg b/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.kcfg
--- a/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.kcfg
+++ b/autotests/kconfig_compiler/test4.kcfg
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
       <choices>
         <choice name="Encrypt"/>
         <choice name="Decrypt"/>
-        <choice name="CrashNBurn"/>
+        <choice name="CrashNBurn" value="Crash and Burn"/>
         <choice name="PumpNDump"/>
       </choices>
       <default param="right">Decrypt</default>
diff --git a/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.h b/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.h
--- a/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.h
+++ b/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.h
@@ -761,6 +761,12 @@
             QString label;
             QString toolTip;
             QString whatsThis;
+            QString val;
+
+        public:
+            QString value() const {
+                return val.isEmpty() ? name : val;
+            }
         };
 
         /** @copydoc KConfigSkeletonGenericItem::KConfigSkeletonGenericItem
diff --git a/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.cpp b/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.cpp
--- a/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kcoreconfigskeleton.cpp
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@
         QString tmp = cg.readEntry(mKey, QString()).toLower();
         for (QList<Choice>::ConstIterator it = mChoices.constBegin();
                 it != mChoices.constEnd(); ++it, ++i) {
-            if ((*it).name.toLower() == tmp) {
+            if ((*it).value().toLower() == tmp) {
                 mReference = i;
                 break;
             }
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@
         if ((mDefault == mReference) && !cg.hasDefault(mKey)) {
             cg.revertToDefault(mKey, writeFlags());
         } else if ((mReference >= 0) && (mReference < mChoices.count())) {
-            cg.writeEntry(mKey, mChoices[mReference].name, writeFlags());
+            cg.writeEntry(mKey, mChoices[mReference].value(), writeFlags());
         } else {
             cg.writeEntry(mKey, mReference, writeFlags());
         }
diff --git a/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigCommonStructs.h b/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigCommonStructs.h
--- a/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigCommonStructs.h
+++ b/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigCommonStructs.h
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@
         QString label;
         QString toolTip;
         QString whatsThis;
+        QString val;
+
+    public:
+        QString value() const{
+            return val.isEmpty() ? name : val;
+        }
     };
     class Choices
     {
diff --git a/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigSourceGenerator.cpp b/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigSourceGenerator.cpp
--- a/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigSourceGenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigSourceGenerator.cpp
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@
         stream() << "  {\n";
         stream() << "    " << cfg().inherits << "::ItemEnum::Choice choice;\n";
         stream() << "    choice.name = QStringLiteral(\"" << choice.name << "\");\n";
+        if (!choice.val.isEmpty()) {
+            stream() << "    choice.val = QStringLiteral(\"" << choice.val << "\");\n";
+        }
         if (cfg().setUserTexts) {
             if (!choice.label.isEmpty()) {
                 stream() << "    choice.label = "
diff --git a/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigXmlParser.cpp b/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigXmlParser.cpp
--- a/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigXmlParser.cpp
+++ b/src/kconfig_compiler/KConfigXmlParser.cpp
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@
 
 bool KConfigXmlParser::hasDefaultCode(CfgEntry &readEntry, const QDomElement &element)
 {
+    Q_UNUSED(readEntry)
     for (QDomElement e = element.firstChildElement(); !e.isNull(); e = e.nextSiblingElement()) {
         if (e.attribute(QStringLiteral("param")).isEmpty()) {
             if (e.attribute(QStringLiteral("code")) == QLatin1String("true")) {
@@ -199,6 +200,10 @@
         if (choice.name.isEmpty()) {
             std::cerr << "Tag <choice> requires attribute 'name'." << std::endl;
         }
+        else if (choice.name.contains(QLatin1Char(' '))) {
+            std::cerr << "Tag <choice> attribute 'name' cannot contain a space. You can use attribute 'value' to pass any string as the choice value." << std::endl;
+        }
+        choice.val = e2.attribute(QStringLiteral("value"));
         for (QDomElement e3 = e2.firstChildElement(); !e3.isNull(); e3 = e3.nextSiblingElement()) {
             if (e3.tagName() == QLatin1String("label")) {
                 choice.label = e3.text();
diff --git a/src/kconfig_compiler/README.dox b/src/kconfig_compiler/README.dox
--- a/src/kconfig_compiler/README.dox
+++ b/src/kconfig_compiler/README.dox
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@
 <entry name="KeepData" type="Enum">
   <choices>
     <choice name="Do">
-    <choice name="Dont">
+    <choice name="Dont" value="Don't">
   </choices>
 </entry>
 \endverbatim
@@ -369,6 +369,9 @@
     };
 \endverbatim
 
+Since 5.68, if present the <b>value</b> attribute will be used used as the choice value written to the backend 
+instead of the <b>name</b>, allowing to write text incompatible with enum naming.
+
 Alternatively, if <b>GlobalEnums</b> is set to true, all Enum items are defined as
 unnamed enums in the global scope of the generated class. In this case, all Enum values
 must have different names to avoid clashes. However, you can use a 'prefix' argument
@@ -380,7 +383,7 @@
 <entry name="KeepData" type="Enum">
   <choices prefix="Keep_">
     <choice name="Do">
-    <choice name="Dont">
+    <choice name="Dont" value="Don't">
   </choices>
 </entry>
 \endverbatim
diff --git a/src/kconfig_compiler/kcfg.xsd b/src/kconfig_compiler/kcfg.xsd
--- a/src/kconfig_compiler/kcfg.xsd
+++ b/src/kconfig_compiler/kcfg.xsd
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@
                                                                 <xsd:element minOccurs="0" name="tooltip" type="kcfg:translatableString"/>
                                                             </xsd:all>
                                                             <xsd:attribute name="name" use="required" type="xsd:string"/>
+                                                            <xsd:attribute name="value" use="optional" type="xsd:string"/>
                                                         </xsd:complexType>
                                                     </xsd:element>
                                                 </xsd:sequence>