diff --git a/localization/strings/en-US/Resources.resw b/localization/strings/en-US/Resources.resw
index 7e3f675aed..a114b29d02 100644
--- a/localization/strings/en-US/Resources.resw
+++ b/localization/strings/en-US/Resources.resw
@@ -3107,6 +3107,10 @@ On first run, creates the file with all settings commented out at their defaults
     <value>Specify volume driver name, e.g. 'guest' or 'vhd' (default: guest)</value>
     <comment>{Locked="guest"}{Locked="vhd"}Command line arguments, file names and string inserts should not be translated</comment>
   </data>
+  <data name="WSLCCLI_DriverEmptyError" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Invalid {} value: driver name cannot be empty or whitespace</value>
+    <comment>{FixedPlaceholder="{}"}Command line arguments, file names and string inserts should not be translated</comment>
+  </data>
   <data name="WSLCCLI_OptionsArgDescription" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>Set driver specific options</value>
   </data>
diff --git a/src/windows/wslc/arguments/ArgumentValidation.cpp b/src/windows/wslc/arguments/ArgumentValidation.cpp
index 7f507ea37a..af378cb59b 100644
--- a/src/windows/wslc/arguments/ArgumentValidation.cpp
+++ b/src/windows/wslc/arguments/ArgumentValidation.cpp
@@ -106,6 +106,17 @@ void Argument::Validate(const ArgMap& execArgs) const
         break;
     }
 
+    case ArgType::Driver:
+    {
+        const auto& value = execArgs.Get<ArgType::Driver>();
+        if (value.empty() ||
+            std::all_of(value.begin(), value.end(), [](wchar_t c) { return std::iswspace(static_cast<wint_t>(c)); }))
+        {
+            throw ArgumentException(Localization::WSLCCLI_DriverEmptyError(m_name));
+        }
+        break;
+    }
+
     case ArgType::Network:
     {
         for (const auto& value : execArgs.GetAll<ArgType::Network>())
diff --git a/src/windows/wslc/services/ContainerService.cpp b/src/windows/wslc/services/ContainerService.cpp
index 1015762ecc..7ea43b075e 100644
--- a/src/windows/wslc/services/ContainerService.cpp
+++ b/src/windows/wslc/services/ContainerService.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ static wsl::windows::common::RunningWSLCContainer CreateInternal(
         THROW_HR_WITH_USER_ERROR_IF(
             E_INVALIDARG,
             Localization::MessageWslcAliasRequiresUserDefinedNetwork(),
-            primary == "bridge" || primary == "host" || primary == "none" || primary.starts_with("container:"));
+            primary.empty() || primary == "bridge" || primary == "host" || primary == "none" || primary.starts_with("container:"));
 
         for (const auto& alias : options.NetworkAliases)
         {