diff --git a/pkg/client/fake/client.go b/pkg/client/fake/client.go
index acc5131e4f..be688d5e89 100644
--- a/pkg/client/fake/client.go
+++ b/pkg/client/fake/client.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	utilrand "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/rand"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/testing"
 
@@ -85,6 +86,12 @@ func (t versionedTracker) Create(gvr schema.GroupVersionResource, obj runtime.Ob
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if accessor.GetName() == "" {
+		return apierrors.NewInvalid(
+			obj.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind().GroupKind(),
+			accessor.GetName(),
+			field.ErrorList{field.Required(field.NewPath("metadata.name"), "name is required")})
+	}
 	if accessor.GetResourceVersion() != "" {
 		return apierrors.NewBadRequest("resourceVersion can not be set for Create requests")
 	}
@@ -97,6 +104,12 @@ func (t versionedTracker) Update(gvr schema.GroupVersionResource, obj runtime.Ob
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get accessor for object: %v", err)
 	}
+	if accessor.GetName() == "" {
+		return apierrors.NewInvalid(
+			obj.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind().GroupKind(),
+			accessor.GetName(),
+			field.ErrorList{field.Required(field.NewPath("metadata.name"), "name is required")})
+	}
 	oldObject, err := t.ObjectTracker.Get(gvr, ns, accessor.GetName())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/client/fake/client_test.go b/pkg/client/fake/client_test.go
index 846b4e6479..3486f48e47 100644
--- a/pkg/client/fake/client_test.go
+++ b/pkg/client/fake/client_test.go
@@ -186,6 +186,36 @@ var _ = Describe("Fake client", func() {
 			Expect(apierrors.IsBadRequest(err)).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 
+		It("should error on Create with empty Name", func() {
+			By("Creating a new configmap")
+			newcm := &corev1.ConfigMap{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					APIVersion: "v1",
+					Kind:       "ConfigMap",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Namespace: "ns2",
+				},
+			}
+			err := cl.Create(context.Background(), newcm)
+			Expect(err.Error()).To(Equal("ConfigMap \"\" is invalid: metadata.name: Required value: name is required"))
+		})
+
+		It("should error on Update with empty Name", func() {
+			By("Creating a new configmap")
+			newcm := &corev1.ConfigMap{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					APIVersion: "v1",
+					Kind:       "ConfigMap",
+				},
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Namespace: "ns2",
+				},
+			}
+			err := cl.Update(context.Background(), newcm)
+			Expect(err.Error()).To(Equal("ConfigMap \"\" is invalid: metadata.name: Required value: name is required"))
+		})
+
 		It("should be able to Create with GenerateName", func() {
 			By("Creating a new configmap")
 			newcm := &corev1.ConfigMap{