diff --git a/gv.c b/gv.c
index 96301ff15107..b1bc60f4e652 100644
--- a/gv.c
+++ b/gv.c
@@ -959,8 +959,9 @@ Perl_gv_stashpvn(pTHX_ const char *name, U32 namelen, I32 flags)
     if (!tmpgv)
 	return NULL;
     stash = GvHV(tmpgv);
+    if (!HvNAME_get(stash))
+	hv_name_set(stash, name, namelen, 0);
     assert(stash);
-    assert(HvNAME_get(stash));
     return stash;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/op/bless.t b/t/op/bless.t
index 14ef3d8c1194..7ed3d433cd7f 100644
--- a/t/op/bless.t
+++ b/t/op/bless.t
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ BEGIN {
     require './test.pl';
 }
 
-plan (108);
+plan (109);
 
 sub expected {
     my($object, $package, $type) = @_;
@@ -139,3 +139,6 @@ expected($c4, 'C4', "SCALAR");
     my $a = bless \(keys %h), 'zap';
     is(ref $a, 'zap');
 }
+
+bless [], "main::";
+ok(1, 'blessing into main:: does not crash'); # [perl #87388]