diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index e05ea059f..f2f75bba8 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -201,6 +201,30 @@ cleanup:
 	return error;
 }
 
+static int ensure_remote_name_is_valid(const char *name)
+{
+	git_buf buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+	git_refspec refspec;
+	int error = -1;
+
+	if (!name || *name == '\0')
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	git_buf_printf(&buf, "refs/heads/test:refs/remotes/%s/test", name);
+	error = git_refspec__parse(&refspec, git_buf_cstr(&buf), true);
+
+	git_buf_free(&buf);
+	git_refspec__free(&refspec);
+
+cleanup:
+	if (error)
+		giterr_set(
+			GITERR_CONFIG,
+			"'%s' is not a valid remote name.", name);
+
+	return error;
+}
+
 int git_remote_save(const git_remote *remote)
 {
 	int error;
@@ -208,6 +232,11 @@ int git_remote_save(const git_remote *remote)
 	const char *tagopt = NULL;
 	git_buf buf = GIT_BUF_INIT, value = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 
+	assert(remote);
+
+	if (ensure_remote_name_is_valid(remote->name) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
 	if (git_repository_config__weakptr(&config, remote->repo) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
diff --git a/tests-clar/network/remotes.c b/tests-clar/network/remotes.c
index 91c3e879d..9fe67d856 100644
--- a/tests-clar/network/remotes.c
+++ b/tests-clar/network/remotes.c
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ static const git_refspec *_refspec;
 
 void test_network_remotes__initialize(void)
 {
-	cl_fixture_sandbox("testrepo.git");
+	_repo = cl_git_sandbox_init("testrepo.git");
 
-	cl_git_pass(git_repository_open(&_repo, "testrepo.git"));
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_load(&_remote, _repo, "test"));
 
 	_refspec = git_remote_fetchspec(_remote);
@@ -22,8 +21,7 @@ void test_network_remotes__initialize(void)
 void test_network_remotes__cleanup(void)
 {
 	git_remote_free(_remote);
-	git_repository_free(_repo);
-	cl_fixture_cleanup("testrepo.git");
+	cl_git_sandbox_cleanup();
 }
 
 void test_network_remotes__parsing(void)
@@ -73,7 +71,7 @@ void test_network_remotes__parsing_local_path_fails_if_path_not_found(void)
 
 void test_network_remotes__supported_transport_methods_are_supported(void)
 {
-  cl_assert( git_remote_supported_url("git://github.com/libgit2/libgit2") );
+	cl_assert( git_remote_supported_url("git://github.com/libgit2/libgit2") );
 }
 
 void test_network_remotes__unsupported_transport_methods_are_unsupported(void)
@@ -226,6 +224,29 @@ void test_network_remotes__add(void)
 	cl_assert_equal_s(git_remote_url(_remote), "http://github.com/libgit2/libgit2");
 }
 
+void test_network_remotes__cannot_add_a_nameless_remote(void)
+{
+	git_remote *remote;
+
+	cl_git_fail(git_remote_add(&remote, _repo, NULL, "git://github.com/libgit2/libgit2"));
+	cl_git_fail(git_remote_add(&remote, _repo, "", "git://github.com/libgit2/libgit2"));
+}
+
+void test_network_remotes__cannot_save_a_nameless_remote(void)
+{
+	git_remote *remote;
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_new(&remote, _repo, NULL, "git://github.com/libgit2/libgit2", NULL));
+
+	cl_git_fail(git_remote_save(remote));
+	git_remote_free(remote);
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_new(&remote, _repo, "", "git://github.com/libgit2/libgit2", NULL));
+
+	cl_git_fail(git_remote_save(remote));
+	git_remote_free(remote);
+}
+
 void test_network_remotes__tagopt(void)
 {
 	const char *opt;