diff --git a/builder/dockerfile/dispatchers.go b/builder/dockerfile/dispatchers.go
index 5c9e89b94a..dd237c10be 100644
--- a/builder/dockerfile/dispatchers.go
+++ b/builder/dockerfile/dispatchers.go
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ func env(b *Builder, args []string, attributes map[string]bool, original string)
 	for j := 0; j < len(args); j++ {
 		// name  ==> args[j]
 		// value ==> args[j+1]
+
+		if len(args[j]) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("ENV names can not be blank")
+		}
+
 		newVar := args[j] + "=" + args[j+1] + ""
 		commitStr += " " + newVar
 
@@ -129,6 +134,11 @@ func label(b *Builder, args []string, attributes map[string]bool, original strin
 	for j := 0; j < len(args); j++ {
 		// name  ==> args[j]
 		// value ==> args[j+1]
+
+		if len(args[j]) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("LABEL names can not be blank")
+		}
+
 		newVar := args[j] + "=" + args[j+1] + ""
 		commitStr += " " + newVar
 
@@ -696,6 +706,10 @@ func arg(b *Builder, args []string, attributes map[string]bool, original string)
 	// name-value pair). If possible, it will be good to harmonize the two.
 	if strings.Contains(arg, "=") {
 		parts := strings.SplitN(arg, "=", 2)
+		if len(parts[0]) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("ARG names can not be blank")
+		}
+
 		name = parts[0]
 		value = parts[1]
 		hasDefault = true
diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_build_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_build_test.go
index ac163d879c..bc6d5d3c5e 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_build_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_build_test.go
@@ -2020,6 +2020,42 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestBuildRelativeCopy(c *check.C) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *DockerSuite) TestBuildBlankName(c *check.C) {
+	name := "testbuildblankname"
+	_, _, stderr, err := buildImageWithStdoutStderr(name,
+		`FROM busybox
+		ENV =`,
+		true)
+	if err == nil {
+		c.Fatal("Build was supposed to fail but didn't")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "ENV names can not be blank") {
+		c.Fatalf("Missing error message, got: %s", stderr)
+	}
+
+	_, _, stderr, err = buildImageWithStdoutStderr(name,
+		`FROM busybox
+		LABEL =`,
+		true)
+	if err == nil {
+		c.Fatal("Build was supposed to fail but didn't")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "LABEL names can not be blank") {
+		c.Fatalf("Missing error message, got: %s", stderr)
+	}
+
+	_, _, stderr, err = buildImageWithStdoutStderr(name,
+		`FROM busybox
+		ARG =foo`,
+		true)
+	if err == nil {
+		c.Fatal("Build was supposed to fail but didn't")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr, "ARG names can not be blank") {
+		c.Fatalf("Missing error message, got: %s", stderr)
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *DockerSuite) TestBuildEnv(c *check.C) {
 	testRequires(c, DaemonIsLinux) // ENV expansion is different in Windows
 	name := "testbuildenv"