diff --git a/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go b/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go
index 7efc9dfed..1c96edf0a 100644
--- a/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go
+++ b/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ func (b *Blueprint) DeepCopy() Blueprint {
 
 // Initialize ensures that the blueprint has sane defaults for any missing fields
 func (b *Blueprint) Initialize() error {
+	if len(b.Name) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("empty blueprint name not allowed")
+	}
+
 	if b.Packages == nil {
 		b.Packages = []Package{}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/store/store.go b/internal/store/store.go
index 400ddfd25..bcc37dfee 100644
--- a/internal/store/store.go
+++ b/internal/store/store.go
@@ -209,17 +209,13 @@ func (s *Store) GetBlueprintChanges(name string) []blueprint.Change {
 
 func (s *Store) PushBlueprint(bp blueprint.Blueprint, commitMsg string) error {
 	return s.change(func() error {
-		if len(bp.Name) == 0 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("empty blueprint name not allowed")
-		}
-
-		commit, err := randomSHA1String()
+		// Make sure the blueprint has default values and that the version is valid
+		err := bp.Initialize()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		// Make sure the blueprint has default values and that the version is valid
-		err = bp.Initialize()
+		commit, err := randomSHA1String()
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/weldr/api.go b/internal/weldr/api.go
index 73c7dd5f5..aff0364aa 100644
--- a/internal/weldr/api.go
+++ b/internal/weldr/api.go
@@ -1945,6 +1945,17 @@ func (api *API) blueprintsNewHandler(writer http.ResponseWriter, request *http.R
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Make sure the blueprint has default values and that the version is valid
+	err = blueprint.Initialize()
+	if err != nil {
+		errors := responseError{
+			ID:  "BlueprintsError",
+			Msg: err.Error(),
+		}
+		statusResponseError(writer, http.StatusBadRequest, errors)
+		return
+	}
+
 	commitMsg := "Recipe " + blueprint.Name + ", version " + blueprint.Version + " saved."
 	err = api.store.PushBlueprint(blueprint, commitMsg)
 	if err != nil {