diff --git a/openml_OS/models/api/v1/Api_data.php b/openml_OS/models/api/v1/Api_data.php
index 294d1300..58ddb175 100644
--- a/openml_OS/models/api/v1/Api_data.php
+++ b/openml_OS/models/api/v1/Api_data.php
@@ -1186,6 +1186,10 @@ private function data_upload() {
 
     // obtain some other fields
     $name = '' . $xml->children('oml', true)->{'name'};
+    if (empty(trim($name))) {
+    $this->returnError(135, $this->version, $this->openmlGeneralErrorCode, "Dataset name is required");
+    return;
+}
     $version = $this->Dataset->incrementVersionNumber($name);
 
     //check and register the data files, return url