diff --git a/src/pipewire/conf.c b/src/pipewire/conf.c
index 74a29f908..66f5fa812 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/conf.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/conf.c
@@ -254,6 +254,11 @@ static int conf_load(const char *prefix, const char *name, struct pw_properties
 	struct stat sbuf;
 	int fd;
 
+	if (name == NULL) {
+		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: config name must not be NULL", conf);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	if (get_read_path(path, sizeof(path), prefix, name) == 0) {
 		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: can't load config '%s': %m", conf, path);
 		return -ENOENT;
diff --git a/test/test-config.c b/test/test-config.c
index 99e9f2f02..52e3576dd 100644
--- a/test/test-config.c
+++ b/test/test-config.c
@@ -75,9 +75,24 @@ PWTEST(config_load_abspath)
 	return PWTEST_PASS;
 }
 
-PWTEST_SUITE(context)
+PWTEST(config_load_nullname)
 {
-	pwtest_add(config_load_abspath, PWTEST_NOARG);
+	struct pw_properties *props = pw_properties_new("ignore", "me", NULL);
+	int r;
+
+	r = pw_conf_load_conf(NULL, NULL, props);
+	pwtest_neg_errno(r, -EINVAL);
+
+	r = pw_conf_load_conf("/dummy", NULL, props);
+	pwtest_neg_errno(r, -EINVAL);
+
+	return PWTEST_PASS;
+}
+
+PWTEST_SUITE(context)
+{
+	pwtest_add(config_load_abspath, PWTEST_NOARG);
+	pwtest_add(config_load_nullname, PWTEST_NOARG);
 
 	return PWTEST_PASS;
 }