diff --git a/d2compiler/compile.go b/d2compiler/compile.go
index 88db84d7e..36ce88bba 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ func (c *compiler) compileBoard(g *d2graph.Graph, ir *d2ir.Map) *d2graph.Graph {
 	if len(c.err.Errors) == 0 {
 		c.validateKeys(g.Root, ir)
 	}
+	c.validateLabels(g)
 	c.validateNear(g)
 	c.validateEdges(g)
 
@@ -998,6 +999,17 @@ func (c *compiler) validateKey(obj *d2graph.Object, f *d2ir.Field) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *compiler) validateLabels(g *d2graph.Graph) {
+	for _, obj := range g.Objects {
+		if obj.Shape.Value == d2target.ShapeText {
+			if strings.TrimSpace(obj.Label.Value) == "" {
+				c.errorf(obj.Label.MapKey, "text must have a label")
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *compiler) validateNear(g *d2graph.Graph) {
 	for _, obj := range g.Objects {
 		if obj.NearKey != nil {
diff --git a/d2compiler/compile_test.go b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
index a8788e95e..3c33b03ce 100644
--- a/d2compiler/compile_test.go
+++ b/d2compiler/compile_test.go
@@ -2712,6 +2712,26 @@ object: {
 `,
 			expErr: `d2/testdata/d2compiler/TestCompile/reserved-composite.d2:1:1: reserved field shape does not accept composite`,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "text_no_label",
+			text: `a: "ok" {
+	shape: text
+}
+b: " \n " {
+	shape: text
+}
+
+c: "" {
+	shape: text
+}
+d: "" {
+	shape: circle
+}
+e: " \n "
+`,
+			expErr: `
+`,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {