diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
index 57ad512616..c096b3dc70 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/Content.cs
@@ -207,20 +207,20 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         {
             if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name))
                 throw new ArgumentNullOrEmptyException(nameof(name));
+
+            //fixme - we always need to set the invariant values since these cannot be null! discuss http://issues.umbraco.org/issue/U4-11286
+            PublishName = name;
+            PublishDate = date;
 
-            if (culture == null)
-            {
-                PublishName = name;
-                PublishDate = date;
-                return;
+            if (culture != null)
+            {
+                // private method, assume that culture is valid
+
+                if (_publishInfos == null)
+                    _publishInfos = new Dictionary<string, (string Name, DateTime Date)>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+                _publishInfos[culture] = (name, date);
             }
-
-            // private method, assume that culture is valid
-
-            if (_publishInfos == null)
-                _publishInfos = new Dictionary<string, (string Name, DateTime Date)>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
-
-            _publishInfos[culture] = (name, date);
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
index 7f79788091..2e8de4afa4 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Repositories/Implement/DocumentRepository.cs
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
             if (entity.Template == null)
                 entity.Template = entity.ContentType.DefaultTemplate;
 
-            entity.Name = FormatInvariantNameValue(entity);
+            EnsureInvariantNameValues(entity, publishing);
             // ensure unique name on the same level
             entity.Name = EnsureUniqueNodeName(entity.ParentId, entity.Name);
 
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
                 content.PublishedVersionId = content.VersionId;
                 contentVersionDto.Id = 0;
                 contentVersionDto.Current = true;
-                contentVersionDto.Text = content.Name;
+                contentVersionDto.Text = content.PublishName;
                 Database.Insert(contentVersionDto);
                 content.VersionId = contentVersionDto.Id;
 
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
                 Database.Execute(Sql().Update<DocumentVersionDto>(u => u.Set(x => x.Published, false)).Where<DocumentVersionDto>(x => x.Id == content.PublishedVersionId));
             }
 
-            entity.Name = FormatInvariantNameValue(entity);
+            EnsureInvariantNameValues(entity, publishing);
             // ensure unique name on the same level
             entity.Name = EnsureUniqueNodeName(entity.ParentId, entity.Name, entity.Id);
 
@@ -1080,33 +1080,38 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Repositories.Implement
         #region Utilities
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// This ensures that the Name property exists and validates if all names are null
+        /// This ensures that the Name/PublishName properties are filled in and validates if all names are null
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="content"></param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        private string FormatInvariantNameValue(IContent content)
+        private void EnsureInvariantNameValues(IContent content, bool publishing)
         {
+            //fixme - if we are saving a variant, we current need to have the invariant name set too, discuss! http://issues.umbraco.org/issue/U4-11286
+            //NOTE - this doesn't deal with the PublishName since that is readonly, instead this scenario is dealt with in `Content.SetPublishInfos`
+
+            //validate
+
             if (content.Name.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() && content.Names.Count == 0)
-                throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot save content with empty name.");
+                throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot save content with an empty name.");
+
+            if (publishing && content.PublishName.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() && content.PublishNames.Count == 0)
+                throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot publish content with an empty name.");
+
+            //ensure the invariant Name
 
             if (content.Name.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() && content.Names.Count > 0)
             {
-                //if we are saving a variant, we current need to have the invariant name set too
-                //fixme - this needs to be discussed! http://issues.umbraco.org/issue/U4-11286
-
                 var defaultCulture = LanguageRepository.GetDefaultIsoCode();
                 if (!defaultCulture.IsNullOrWhiteSpace() && content.Names.TryGetValue(defaultCulture, out var cultureName))
                 {
-                    return cultureName;
+                    content.Name = cultureName;
                 }
                 else
                 {
                     //our only option is to take the first
-                    return content.Names.First().Value;
+                    content.Name = content.Names.First().Value;
                 }
             }
-
-            return content.Name;
         }
 
         protected override string EnsureUniqueNodeName(int parentId, string nodeName, int id = 0)
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/StringExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/StringExtensions.cs
index afdb4c3646..a399c82f0c 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/StringExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/StringExtensions.cs
@@ -1147,7 +1147,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core
         /// <param name="text">The text to filter.</param>
         /// <returns>The safe url segment.</returns>
         public static string ToUrlSegment(this string text)
-        {
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(text)) throw new ArgumentException("message", nameof(text));
             return Current.ShortStringHelper.CleanStringForUrlSegment(text);
         }
 
@@ -1158,7 +1159,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core
         /// <param name="culture">The culture.</param>
         /// <returns>The safe url segment.</returns>
         public static string ToUrlSegment(this string text, CultureInfo culture)
-        {
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(text)) throw new ArgumentException("message", nameof(text));
+            if (culture == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(culture));
+
             return Current.ShortStringHelper.CleanStringForUrlSegment(text, culture);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/content.create.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/content.create.controller.js
index ace6058b1d..199976f3fa 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/content.create.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/content.create.controller.js
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ function contentCreateController($scope,
   }
 
   function createBlank(docType) {
-    $location
-      .path("/content/content/edit/" + $scope.currentNode.id)
-      .search("doctype=" + docType.alias + "&create=true");
+      $location
+          .path("/content/content/edit/" + $scope.currentNode.id)
+          .search("doctype", docType.alias)
+          .search("create", true);
     close();
   }
 
@@ -69,4 +70,4 @@ angular.module("umbraco").controller("Umbraco.Editors.Content.CreateController",
 angular.module("umbraco").value("blueprintConfig", {
     skipSelect: false,
     allowBlank: true
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});