diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Input/InputOption.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Input/InputOption.php
index dbfcb216adc0..e194b322e9e0 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Input/InputOption.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Input/InputOption.php
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ public function __construct($name, $shortcut = null, $mode = null, $description
             $name = substr($name, 2);
         }
 
+        if (empty($name)) {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException('An option name cannot be empty.');
+        }
+
         if (empty($shortcut)) {
             $shortcut = null;
         }
@@ -60,7 +64,7 @@ public function __construct($name, $shortcut = null, $mode = null, $description
             }
 
             if (empty($shortcut)) {
-                $shortcut = null;
+                throw new \InvalidArgumentException('An option shortcut cannot be empty.');
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Input/InputOptionTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Input/InputOptionTest.php
index 125629fac08c..b5d8b4336a2e 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Input/InputOptionTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Input/InputOptionTest.php
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ public function testConstructor()
         $this->assertEquals('f', $option->getShortcut(), '__construct() removes the leading - of the shortcut');
         $option = new InputOption('foo');
         $this->assertNull($option->getShortcut(), '__construct() makes the shortcut null by default');
-        $option = new InputOption('foo', '-');
-        $this->assertNull($option->getShortcut(), '__construct() makes the shortcut null if a single dash is specified as its name');
 
         // mode argument
         $option = new InputOption('foo', 'f');
@@ -82,6 +80,30 @@ public function testConstructor()
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
+     */
+    public function testEmptyNameIsInvalid()
+    {
+        new InputOption('');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
+     */
+    public function testDoubleDashNameIsInvalid()
+    {
+        new InputOption('--');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
+     */
+    public function testSingleDashOptionIsInvalid()
+    {
+        new InputOption('foo', '-');
+    }
+
     public function testIsArray()
     {
         $option = new InputOption('foo', null, InputOption::VALUE_OPTIONAL | InputOption::VALUE_IS_ARRAY);