diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index b0ac2bb5b..b399735c9 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -1124,6 +1124,10 @@ parse_arg_name(RES* ssl, char* str, uint8_t** res, size_t* len, int* labs)
 	*res = NULL;
 	*len = 0;
 	*labs = 0;
+	if(str[0] == '\0') {
+		ssl_printf(ssl, "error: this option requires a domain name\n");
+		return 0;
+	}
 	status = sldns_str2wire_dname_buf(str, nm, &nmlen);
 	if(status != 0) {
 		ssl_printf(ssl, "error cannot parse name %s at %d: %s\n", str,
diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 0ecda426f..718e1fb7d 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+27 March 2020: Ralph
+	- Make unbound-control error returned on missing domain name more user
+	  friendly.
+
 26 March 2020: Ralph
 	- Fix RPZ concurrency issue when using auth_zone_reload.