diff --git a/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py b/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py
index 381eb3ce68..1f637774f3 100644
--- a/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py
+++ b/ironic/api/controllers/v1/node.py
@@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@ class NodesController(rest.RestController):
             e.code = http_client.BAD_REQUEST
             raise e
 
-        if node.name:
+        if (node.name != wtypes.Unset and node.name is not None):
             error_msg = _("Cannot create node with invalid name "
                           "%(name)s") % {'name': node.name}
             self._check_name_acceptable(node.name, error_msg)
@@ -1259,7 +1259,7 @@ class NodesController(rest.RestController):
                 msg % node_ident, status_code=http_client.CONFLICT)
 
         name = api_utils.get_patch_value(patch, '/name')
-        if name:
+        if name is not None:
             error_msg = _("Node %(node)s: Cannot change name to invalid "
                           "name '%(name)s'") % {'node': node_ident,
                                                 'name': name}
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py b/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py
index 4a2b410f1f..41a7b8150f 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/api/v1/test_nodes.py
@@ -1269,6 +1269,29 @@ class TestPatch(test_api_base.BaseApiTest):
         self.assertEqual(http_client.BAD_REQUEST, response.status_code)
         self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
 
+    def test_patch_add_name_empty_invalid(self):
+        test_name = ''
+        response = self.patch_json('/nodes/%s' % self.node_no_name.uuid,
+                                   [{'path': '/name',
+                                     'op': 'add',
+                                     'value': test_name}],
+                                   headers={api_base.Version.string: "1.5"},
+                                   expect_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertEqual(http_client.BAD_REQUEST, response.status_code)
+        self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
+
+    def test_patch_add_name_empty_not_acceptable(self):
+        test_name = ''
+        response = self.patch_json('/nodes/%s' % self.node_no_name.uuid,
+                                   [{'path': '/name',
+                                     'op': 'add',
+                                     'value': test_name}],
+                                   expect_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertEqual(http_client.NOT_ACCEPTABLE, response.status_code)
+        self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
+
     def test_patch_name_replace_ok(self):
         self.mock_update_node.return_value = self.node
         test_name = 'guido-van-rossum'
@@ -1380,6 +1403,22 @@ class TestPost(test_api_base.BaseApiTest):
         self.assertEqual(urlparse.urlparse(response.location).path,
                          expected_location)
 
+    def test_create_node_name_empty_invalid(self):
+        ndict = test_api_utils.post_get_test_node(name='')
+        response = self.post_json('/nodes', ndict,
+                                  headers={api_base.Version.string: "1.10"},
+                                  expect_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual(http_client.BAD_REQUEST, response.status_int)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
+
+    def test_create_node_name_empty_not_acceptable(self):
+        ndict = test_api_utils.post_get_test_node(name='')
+        response = self.post_json('/nodes', ndict, expect_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual(http_client.NOT_ACCEPTABLE, response.status_int)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
+
     def test_create_node_default_state_none(self):
         ndict = test_api_utils.post_get_test_node()
         response = self.post_json('/nodes', ndict,
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/correct-api-version-check-conditional-for-nodename-439bebc02fb5493d.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/correct-api-version-check-conditional-for-nodename-439bebc02fb5493d.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef9ed8a313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/correct-api-version-check-conditional-for-nodename-439bebc02fb5493d.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Correct api version check conditional for node.name to address
+    an issue that we could set node name to '' using API version lower than
+    1.5, where node names were introduced.