diff --git a/acl/policy.go b/acl/policy.go
index 138b1a306..bcbf85288 100644
--- a/acl/policy.go
+++ b/acl/policy.go
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ func Parse(rules string) (*Policy, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to parse ACL Policy: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// At least one valid policy must be specified, we don't want to store only
+	// raw data
+	if len(p.Namespaces) < 1 && p.Agent == nil && p.Node == nil && p.Operator == nil && p.Quota == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Invalid rule set due to missing namespace name: %s", p.Raw)
+	}
+
 	// Validate the policy
 	for _, ns := range p.Namespaces {
 		if !validNamespace.MatchString(ns.Name) {
diff --git a/acl/policy_test.go b/acl/policy_test.go
index e53917f25..e001ddc76 100644
--- a/acl/policy_test.go
+++ b/acl/policy_test.go
@@ -158,6 +158,17 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 			"Invalid quota policy",
 			nil,
 		},
+		{
+			`
+			{
+				"Name": "my-policy",
+				"Description": "This is a great policy",
+				"Rules": "anything"
+			}
+			`,
+			"Invalid rule set due to missing namespace name",
+			nil,
+		},
 		{
 			`
 			namespace "has a space"{