diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b4b4ebf..9592278 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ The example app contained in `example` is a simple Dart web server. From the `ex
  * [William Estoque](https://github.com/westoque)
  * [Daniel Gempesaw](https://github.com/gempesaw)
  * [Nik Graf](https://github.com/nikgraf)
+ * [Jon Kirkman](https://github.com/jonkirkman)
  * [Anita Kuno](https://github.com/anteaya)
  * [Morgan Nelson](https://github.com/korishev)
  * [Michael Risse](https://github.com/rissem)
diff --git a/lib/full/copy_dialog.dart b/lib/full/copy_dialog.dart
index e349c1a..16ed18c 100644
--- a/lib/full/copy_dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/full/copy_dialog.dart
@@ -31,11 +31,7 @@ class CopyDialog extends Dialog implements MenuAction {
 
   _copyProject() {
     var title = _field.value;
-    if (store.containsKey(title)) {
-      var message = "There is already a project with that name";
-      Notify.alert(message, parent: parent);
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!new Validate(title, store, parent).isValid) return;
 
     store[title] = {'code': ice.content};
 
diff --git a/lib/full/new_project_dialog.dart b/lib/full/new_project_dialog.dart
index 6378bc3..edcee44 100644
--- a/lib/full/new_project_dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/full/new_project_dialog.dart
@@ -35,11 +35,7 @@ class NewProjectDialog extends Dialog implements MenuAction {
 
   _create() {
     var title = _field.value;
-    if (store.containsKey(title)) {
-      var message = "There is already a project with that name";
-      Notify.alert(message, parent: parent);
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!new Validate(title, store, parent).isValid) return;
 
     var template = _list.value,
         code = Templates.byTitle(template);
diff --git a/lib/full/rename_dialog.dart b/lib/full/rename_dialog.dart
index eb203b3..f626b30 100644
--- a/lib/full/rename_dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/full/rename_dialog.dart
@@ -28,13 +28,7 @@ class RenameDialog extends Dialog implements MenuAction {
 
   _renameProject() {
     var title = _field.value;
-
-    if(store.containsKey(title)) {
-      var message = "There is already a project with that name";
-
-      Notify.alert(message, parent: parent);
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!new Validate(title, store, parent).isValid) return;
 
     var project = store.remove(_currentProjectTitle);
     store[title] = project;
diff --git a/lib/full/validate.dart b/lib/full/validate.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63021d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/full/validate.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+part of ice;
+
+class Validate {
+  String title;
+
+  Element parent;
+  Editor ice;
+  Store store;
+
+  // TODO: generalize so that these are not passed directly to Validate
+  Validate(this.title, this.store, this.parent);
+
+  bool get isValid {
+    if (store.containsKey(title)) {
+      var message = "There is already a project with that name";
+      Notify.alert(message, parent: parent);
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    if (title.trim().isEmpty) {
+      var message = "The project name cannot be blank";
+      Notify.alert(message, parent: parent);
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/ice.dart b/lib/ice.dart
index e1d9a07..3061c8d 100644
--- a/lib/ice.dart
+++ b/lib/ice.dart
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ part 'full.dart';
 part 'full/default_project.dart';
 part 'full/templates.dart';
 part 'full/notify.dart';
+part 'full/validate.dart';
 
 part 'full/menu_item.dart';
 part 'full/menu_action.dart';
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 958b5ec..f2d7e85 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: ice_code_editor
-version: 0.0.5
+version: 0.0.6
 description: Code Editor + Preview
 authors:
 - Chris Strom <chris@eeecomputes.com>
diff --git a/test/full/copy_dialog_test.dart b/test/full/copy_dialog_test.dart
index 30f2248..d7d9ad3 100644
--- a/test/full/copy_dialog_test.dart
+++ b/test/full/copy_dialog_test.dart
@@ -197,5 +197,17 @@ copy_dialog_tests() {
       );
     });
 
+    test("cannot have a blank name", () {
+      helpers.click('button', text: '☰');
+      helpers.click('li', text: 'Make a Copy');
+      helpers.typeIn('  ');
+      helpers.click('button', text: 'Save');
+
+      expect(
+        query('#alert').text,
+        'The project name cannot be blank'
+      );
+    });
+
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/full/new_project_dialog_test.dart b/test/full/new_project_dialog_test.dart
index 3d5de6c..77cba30 100644
--- a/test/full/new_project_dialog_test.dart
+++ b/test/full/new_project_dialog_test.dart
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@ new_project_dialog_tests(){
               text, equals("There is already a project with that name"));
     });
 
+    test("cannot have a blank name", () {
+      helpers.click('button', text: '☰');
+      helpers.click('li', text: 'New');
+      helpers.typeIn('  ');
+
+      helpers.click('button', text: 'Save');
+
+      expect(
+        query('#alert').text,
+        'The project name cannot be blank'
+      );
+    });
+
     test("can be named", (){
       helpers.click('button', text: '☰');
       helpers.click('li', text: 'New');
diff --git a/test/full/rename_dialog_test.dart b/test/full/rename_dialog_test.dart
index f98d1b9..2c39951 100644
--- a/test/full/rename_dialog_test.dart
+++ b/test/full/rename_dialog_test.dart
@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ rename_dialog_tests() {
       );
     });
 
+    test("cannot have a blank name", () {
+      helpers.click('button', text: '☰');
+      helpers.click('li', text: 'Rename');
+      helpers.typeIn('  ');
+      helpers.click('button', text: 'Rename');
+
+      expect(
+        query('#alert').text,
+        equals("The project name cannot be blank")
+      );
+    });
+
     test("hitting the enter key renames", (){
       helpers.click('button', text: '☰');