diff --git a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json
index 5bc43e49d..bbf854559 100644
--- a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json
+++ b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/manifest.schema.json
@@ -241,7 +241,10 @@
           ]
         },
         "name": {
-          "type": "string"
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
         },
         "version": {
           "anyOf": [
@@ -475,10 +478,7 @@
             }
           ]
         }
-      },
-      "required": [
-        "name"
-      ]
+      }
     },
     "InheritableField_for_string": {
       "description": "An enum that allows for inheriting keys from a workspace in a Cargo.toml.",
diff --git a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
index 906ff3d43..d3706407a 100644
--- a/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/cargo-util-schemas/src/manifest/mod.rs
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ pub struct TomlPackage {
     pub edition: Option<InheritableString>,
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "unstable-schema", schemars(with = "Option<String>"))]
     pub rust_version: Option<InheritableRustVersion>,
-    #[cfg_attr(feature = "unstable-schema", schemars(with = "String"))]
-    pub name: PackageName,
+    #[cfg_attr(feature = "unstable-schema", schemars(with = "Option<String>"))]
+    pub name: Option<PackageName>,
     pub version: Option<InheritableSemverVersion>,
     pub authors: Option<InheritableVecString>,
     pub build: Option<StringOrBool>,
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ pub struct TomlPackage {
 impl TomlPackage {
     pub fn new(name: PackageName) -> Self {
         Self {
-            name,
+            name: Some(name),
 
             edition: None,
             rust_version: None,
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ impl TomlPackage {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn normalized_name(&self) -> Result<&PackageName, UnresolvedError> {
+        self.name.as_ref().ok_or(UnresolvedError)
+    }
+
     pub fn normalized_edition(&self) -> Result<Option<&String>, UnresolvedError> {
         self.edition.as_ref().map(|v| v.normalized()).transpose()
     }
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs b/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
index 8491e2ae7..d341874fd 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/toml/mod.rs
@@ -322,7 +322,10 @@ fn normalize_toml(
     if let Some(original_package) = original_toml.package() {
         let normalized_package =
             normalize_package_toml(original_package, manifest_file, is_embedded, gctx, &inherit)?;
-        let package_name = &normalized_package.name.clone();
+        let package_name = &normalized_package
+            .normalized_name()
+            .expect("previously normalized")
+            .clone();
         let edition = normalized_package
             .normalized_edition()
             .expect("previously normalized")
@@ -582,7 +585,12 @@ fn normalize_package_toml<'a>(
         .map(|value| field_inherit_with(value, "rust-version", || inherit()?.rust_version()))
         .transpose()?
         .map(manifest::InheritableField::Value);
-    let name = original_package.name.clone();
+    let name = Some(
+        original_package
+            .name
+            .clone()
+            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::format_err!("missing field `package.name`"))?,
+    );
     let version = original_package
         .version
         .clone()
@@ -1198,7 +1206,9 @@ pub fn to_real_manifest(
     let normalized_package = normalized_toml
         .package()
         .expect("previously verified to have a `[package]`");
-    let package_name = &normalized_package.name;
+    let package_name = normalized_package
+        .normalized_name()
+        .expect("previously normalized");
     if package_name.contains(':') {
         features.require(Feature::open_namespaces())?;
     }
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/toml/targets.rs b/src/cargo/util/toml/targets.rs
index 3fe018433..9c71b4d76 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/toml/targets.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/toml/targets.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ pub(super) fn to_targets(
 
         targets.push(Target::metabuild_target(&format!(
             "metabuild-{}",
-            package.name
+            package.normalized_name().expect("previously normalized")
         )));
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/bad_config.rs b/tests/testsuite/bad_config.rs
index 5ac8c1216..8e7316dd2 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/bad_config.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/bad_config.rs
@@ -484,12 +484,10 @@ fn cargo_toml_missing_package_name() {
     p.cargo("check")
         .with_status(101)
         .with_stderr_data(str![[r#"
-[ERROR] missing field `name`
- --> Cargo.toml:2:16
-  |
-2 |                [package]
-  |                ^^^^^^^^^
-  |
+[ERROR] failed to parse manifest at `[ROOT]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+
+Caused by:
+  missing field `package.name`
 
 "#]])
         .run();