diff --git a/src/error.h b/src/error.h
index a69e177..020cdd0 100644
--- a/src/error.h
+++ b/src/error.h
@@ -13,30 +13,30 @@
  * TODO #00003 make this header public
  */
 
-#define ISO_SUCCESS				1
-#define ISO_ERROR				-1
-#define ISO_NULL_POINTER		-2
-#define ISO_OUT_OF_MEM			-3
-#define ISO_MEM_ERROR			-4
-#define ISO_INTERRUPTED			-5
-#define ISO_WRONG_ARG_VALUE		-6
+#define ISO_SUCCESS                     1
+#define ISO_ERROR                       -1
+#define ISO_NULL_POINTER                -2
+#define ISO_OUT_OF_MEM                  -3
+#define ISO_MEM_ERROR                   -4
+#define ISO_INTERRUPTED                 -5
+#define ISO_WRONG_ARG_VALUE             -6
 
-#define ISO_WRITE_ERROR         -10
+#define ISO_WRITE_ERROR                 -10
 
 #define ISO_NODE_ALREADY_ADDED          -50
 #define ISO_NODE_NAME_NOT_UNIQUE        -51
 #define ISO_NODE_NOT_ADDED_TO_DIR       -52
 
-#define ISO_FILE_ERROR					-100
-#define ISO_FILE_ALREADY_OPENNED		-101
-#define ISO_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED			-102
-#define ISO_FILE_BAD_PATH				-103
-#define ISO_FILE_DOESNT_EXIST			-104
-#define ISO_FILE_NOT_OPENNED			-105
-#define ISO_FILE_IS_DIR					-106
-#define ISO_FILE_READ_ERROR				-107
-#define ISO_FILE_IS_NOT_DIR				-108
-#define ISO_FILE_IS_NOT_SYMLINK			-109
+#define ISO_FILE_ERROR                  -100
+#define ISO_FILE_ALREADY_OPENNED        -101
+#define ISO_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED          -102
+#define ISO_FILE_BAD_PATH               -103
+#define ISO_FILE_DOESNT_EXIST           -104
+#define ISO_FILE_NOT_OPENNED            -105
+#define ISO_FILE_IS_DIR                 -106
+#define ISO_FILE_READ_ERROR             -107
+#define ISO_FILE_IS_NOT_DIR             -108
+#define ISO_FILE_IS_NOT_SYMLINK         -109
 #define ISO_FILE_TOO_BIG                -110
 
 #define ISO_CHARSET_CONV_ERROR          -150
diff --git a/src/node.c b/src/node.c
index 44f27e0..7ee11c6 100644
--- a/src/node.c
+++ b/src/node.c
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ int iso_node_set_name(IsoNode *node, const char *name)
             return ISO_NODE_NAME_NOT_UNIQUE;
         }
     }
+    /* guard against the empty string */
+    if (name[0] == '\0') {
+        return ISO_WRONG_ARG_VALUE;
+    }
     new = strdup(name);
     if (new == NULL) {
         return ISO_MEM_ERROR;