diff --git a/pkg/storage/consul/client_template.go.tmpl b/pkg/storage/consul/client_template.go.tmpl
index bc3b23aea35..4adcdeb7960 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/consul/client_template.go.tmpl
+++ b/pkg/storage/consul/client_template.go.tmpl
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ type {{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client struct {
 }
 
 func (c *{{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client) Create(item *v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}) (*v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}, error) {
+	if item.Name == "" {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("name required")
+	}
 	out, err := c.base.Create(&base.StorableItem{{"{"}}{{ .UppercaseName }}: item})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -19,6 +22,9 @@ func (c *{{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client) Create(item *v1.{{ .UppercaseName }})
 }
 
 func (c *{{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client) Update(item *v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}) (*v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}, error) {
+	if item.Name == "" {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("name required")
+	}
 	out, err := c.base.Update(&base.StorableItem{{"{"}}{{ .UppercaseName }}: item})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/storage/file/client_template.go.tmpl b/pkg/storage/file/client_template.go.tmpl
index 509a8eda66d..c25a1b1d350 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/file/client_template.go.tmpl
+++ b/pkg/storage/file/client_template.go.tmpl
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ type {{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client struct {
 }
 
 func (c *{{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client) Create(item *v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}) (*v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}, error) {
+	if item.Name == "" {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("name required")
+	}
 	// set resourceversion on clone
 	{{ .LowercaseName }}Clone, ok := proto.Clone(item).(*v1.{{ .UppercaseName }})
 	if !ok {
@@ -53,6 +56,9 @@ func (c *{{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client) Create(item *v1.{{ .UppercaseName }})
 }
 
 func (c *{{ .LowercasePluralName }}Client) Update(item *v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}) (*v1.{{ .UppercaseName }}, error) {
+	if item.Name == "" {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("name required")
+	}
 	if item.Metadata == nil || item.Metadata.ResourceVersion == "" {
 		return nil, errors.New("resource version must be set for update operations")
 	}