diff --git a/src/items/items.service.ts b/src/items/items.service.ts
index ca100e1..c93dcee 100644
--- a/src/items/items.service.ts
+++ b/src/items/items.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { InjectEntityManager, InjectRepository } from '@nestjs/typeorm';
 import { EntityManager, Repository, TreeRepository } from 'typeorm';
+import assert from 'assert';
 import { NewItemInput } from './dto/new-item.input';
 import { EANService } from './ean/ean.service';
 import { Item } from './items.entity';
@@ -103,11 +104,15 @@ export class ItemsService {
         ? (BigInt(highestId) + 1n).toString(10)
         : // @ts-ignore input.id must exist here
           this.eans.toID(input.id),
+      name: input.name.trim(),
+      notes: input.notes ? input.notes.trim() || undefined : undefined,
       parent: input.parent
         ? await this.itemRepository.findOneOrFail(this.eans.toID(input.parent))
         : undefined,
     });
 
+    assert(item.name.length > 0, 'You must provide item name');
+
     await this.itemRepository.save(item);
 
     return item;