diff --git a/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/converter.go b/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/converter.go
index 4939289f8b4d..70f2e4cc72dd 100644
--- a/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/converter.go
+++ b/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/converter.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/agent/internal/converter/diag"
+	"github.com/grafana/agent/internal/converter/internal/common"
 	"github.com/grafana/river/token/builder"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/otelcol"
@@ -130,7 +131,8 @@ func (state *state) flowLabelForComponent(c component.InstanceID) string {
 		if componentName == "" {
 			componentName = defaultLabel
 		}
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s", groupName, componentName)
+		identifier := fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s", groupName, componentName)
+		return common.SanitizeIdentifierPanics(identifier)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.river b/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.river
index 07665b91f2ef..ad20c4553708 100644
--- a/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.river
+++ b/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.river
@@ -32,18 +32,18 @@ otelcol.connector.spanmetrics "default" {
 	}
 }
 
-otelcol.exporter.otlp "foo_metrics_backend_two" {
+otelcol.exporter.otlp "_2_metrics_backend_2" {
 	client {
 		endpoint = "database:54317"
 	}
 }
 
-otelcol.connector.spanmetrics "foo_default" {
+otelcol.connector.spanmetrics "_2_default" {
 	histogram {
 		explicit { }
 	}
 
 	output {
-		metrics = [otelcol.exporter.otlp.foo_metrics_backend_two.input]
+		metrics = [otelcol.exporter.otlp._2_metrics_backend_2.input]
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.yaml b/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.yaml
index b2ebe10cfabf..b5222d0efa16 100644
--- a/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.yaml
+++ b/internal/converter/internal/otelcolconvert/testdata/spanmetrics_full.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ exporters:
     sending_queue:
       queue_size: 5000
 
-  otlp/metrics_backend_two:
+  otlp/metrics_backend/2: 
     # Our defaults have drifted from upstream, so we explicitly set our
     # defaults below (balancer_name and queue_size).
     endpoint: database:54317
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ service:
     metrics:
       receivers: [spanmetrics]
       exporters: [otlp/metrics_backend]
-    metrics/foo:
+    metrics/2:
       receivers: [spanmetrics]
-      exporters: [otlp/metrics_backend_two]
+      exporters: [otlp/metrics_backend/2]