diff --git a/gio/gdbusmessage.c b/gio/gdbusmessage.c
index e36d1fe88..cdc0b83e8 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusmessage.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusmessage.c
@@ -3204,7 +3204,7 @@ g_dbus_message_set_error_name (GDBusMessage  *message,
                                const gchar   *value)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (G_IS_DBUS_MESSAGE (message));
-  g_return_if_fail (value == NULL || g_dbus_is_interface_name (value));
+  g_return_if_fail (value == NULL || g_dbus_is_error_name (value));
   set_string_header (message, G_DBUS_MESSAGE_HEADER_FIELD_ERROR_NAME, value);
 }
 
diff --git a/gio/tests/gdbus-names.c b/gio/tests/gdbus-names.c
index 89bccb83d..8504220a9 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gdbus-names.c
+++ b/gio/tests/gdbus-names.c
@@ -1162,9 +1162,15 @@ test_validate_names (void)
         g_assert (!g_dbus_is_unique_name (names[n].string));
 
       if (names[n].interface)
-        g_assert (g_dbus_is_interface_name (names[n].string));
+        {
+          g_assert (g_dbus_is_interface_name (names[n].string));
+          g_assert (g_dbus_is_error_name (names[n].string)); 
+        }
       else
-        g_assert (!g_dbus_is_interface_name (names[n].string));
+        {
+          g_assert (!g_dbus_is_interface_name (names[n].string));
+          g_assert (!g_dbus_is_error_name (names[n].string));
+        }        
     }
 }