diff --git a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/kmp-compiler.ts b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/kmp-compiler.ts
index 420477d474e..c9ee1fa492b 100644
--- a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/kmp-compiler.ts
+++ b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/kmp-compiler.ts
@@ -274,6 +274,16 @@ export class KmpCompiler implements KeymanCompiler {
           // note: we don't emit fileType as that is not permitted in kmp.json
         };
       });
+      if(!kmp.files.reduce((result: boolean, file) => {
+        if(!file.name) {
+          // as the filename field is missing or blank, we'll try with the description instead
+          this.callbacks.reportMessage(CompilerMessages.Error_FileRecordIsMissingName({description: file.description ?? '(no description)'}));
+          return false;
+        }
+        return result;
+      }, true)) {
+        return null;
+      }
     }
     kmp.files = kmp.files ?? [];
 
diff --git a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-compiler-messages.ts b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-compiler-messages.ts
index 7e0ab61865d..1b286686ed9 100644
--- a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-compiler-messages.ts
+++ b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-compiler-messages.ts
@@ -130,5 +130,9 @@ export class CompilerMessages {
   static ERROR_InvalidPackageFile = SevError | 0x001E;
   static Error_InvalidPackageFile = (o:{e:any}) => m(this.ERROR_InvalidPackageFile,
     `Package source file is invalid: ${(o.e ?? 'unknown error').toString()}`);
+
+  static ERROR_FileRecordIsMissingName = SevError | 0x001F;
+  static Error_FileRecordIsMissingName = (o:{description:string}) => m(this.ERROR_FileRecordIsMissingName,
+    `File record in the package with description '${o.description}' is missing a filename.`);
 }
 
diff --git a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-keyboard-target-validator.ts b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-keyboard-target-validator.ts
index 8927e557f4e..01d2d3ca011 100644
--- a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-keyboard-target-validator.ts
+++ b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-keyboard-target-validator.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export class PackageKeyboardTargetValidator {
     // package also includes the .js
     const targets = KeymanTargets.keymanTargetsFromString(targetsText, {expandTargets: true});
     if(targets.some(target => KeymanTargets.TouchKeymanTargets.includes(target))) {
-      if(!kmp.files.find(file => this.callbacks.path.basename(file.name, '.js') == keyboard.id)) {
+      if(!kmp.files.find(file => this.callbacks.path.basename(file.name ?? '', '.js') == keyboard.id)) {
         // .js version of the keyboard is not found, warn
         this.callbacks.reportMessage(CompilerMessages.Warn_JsKeyboardFileIsMissing({id: keyboard.id}));
         return false;
diff --git a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-metadata-collector.ts b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-metadata-collector.ts
index 7fb0952de09..346e23a7278 100644
--- a/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-metadata-collector.ts
+++ b/developer/src/kmc-package/src/compiler/package-metadata-collector.ts
@@ -40,16 +40,21 @@ export class PackageMetadataCollector {
   ): KeyboardMetadata {
 
     let isJavascript = false;
-    let file = kmp.files.find(file => this.callbacks.path.basename(file.name, KeymanFileTypes.Binary.Keyboard) == keyboard.id);
+    let file = kmp.files.find(file => this.callbacks.path.basename(file.name ?? '', KeymanFileTypes.Binary.Keyboard) == keyboard.id);
     if(!file) {
       isJavascript = true;
-      file = kmp.files.find(file => this.callbacks.path.basename(file.name, KeymanFileTypes.Binary.WebKeyboard) == keyboard.id);
+      file = kmp.files.find(file => this.callbacks.path.basename(file.name ?? '', KeymanFileTypes.Binary.WebKeyboard) == keyboard.id);
       if(!file) {
         this.callbacks.reportMessage(CompilerMessages.Error_KeyboardContentFileNotFound({id:keyboard.id}));
         return null;
       }
     }
 
+    if(!file.name) {
+      this.callbacks.reportMessage(CompilerMessages.Error_FileRecordIsMissingName({description: file.description ?? '(no description)'}));
+      return null;
+    }
+
     const filename = this.callbacks.resolveFilename(kpsFilename, file.name);
     if(!this.callbacks.fs.existsSync(filename)) {
       this.callbacks.reportMessage(CompilerMessages.Error_KeyboardFileNotFound({filename}));