diff --git a/src/main/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitService.java b/src/main/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitService.java
index 09b3d2e..37481fd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitService.java
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ public class GitService
 	{
 		if (name == null || name.isBlank())
 			name = deriveRepositoryName(url);
+		if (name.isBlank())
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Repository name must not be blank");
 		Path worktree = properties.getWorktreePath().resolve(name);
 		Path gitDir = properties.getGitDirPath().resolve(name);
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitServiceTest.java b/src/test/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitServiceTest.java
index fe54186..d97fa89 100644
--- a/src/test/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitServiceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/be/seeseepuff/webgit/service/GitServiceTest.java
@@ -299,4 +299,16 @@ class GitServiceTest
 		String expectedName = gitService.deriveRepositoryName(bareRemote.toUri().toString());
 		assertTrue(Files.exists(worktreePath.resolve(expectedName)));
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	void cloneWithBlankUrlAndBlankNameThrows()
+	{
+		assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> gitService.cloneRepository("", ""));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void cloneWithUrlDerivingBlankNameThrows()
+	{
+		assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> gitService.cloneRepository(".git", null));
+	}
 }