diff --git a/src/rpc/net.cpp b/src/rpc/net.cpp
index ba1080ed11f..382e4d5604e 100644
--- a/src/rpc/net.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/net.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 
 using node::NodeContext;
 using util::Join;
+using util::TrimStringView;
 
 const std::vector<std::string> CONNECTION_TYPE_DOC{
         "outbound-full-relay (default automatic connections)",
@@ -348,6 +349,11 @@ static RPCMethod addnode()
     CConnman& connman = EnsureConnman(node);
 
     const auto node_arg{self.Arg<std::string_view>("node")};
+    if (TrimStringView(node_arg).empty()) {
+        // Such a node would never resolve, but would be retried indefinitely.
+        throw JSONRPCError(RPC_INVALID_PARAMETER, "Error: Node address cannot be empty");
+    }
+
     bool node_v2transport = connman.GetLocalServices() & NODE_P2P_V2;
     bool use_v2transport = self.MaybeArg<bool>("v2transport").value_or(node_v2transport);
 
diff --git a/test/functional/rpc_net.py b/test/functional/rpc_net.py
index 81cf4da78db..8d1bc244dc4 100755
--- a/test/functional/rpc_net.py
+++ b/test/functional/rpc_net.py
@@ -272,6 +272,11 @@ class NetTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         assert_equal(added_nodes[0]['addednode'], "11.22.33.44")
         self.log.info("Check that an invalid command returns an error")
         assert_raises_rpc_error(-1, 'addnode "node" "command"', self.nodes[0].addnode, node=ip_port, command='abc')
+        self.log.info("Check that an empty node address returns an error")
+        for command in ['add', 'remove', 'onetry']:
+            assert_raises_rpc_error(-8, "Node address cannot be empty", self.nodes[0].addnode, node="", command=command)
+            assert_raises_rpc_error(-8, "Node address cannot be empty", self.nodes[0].addnode, node=" ", command=command)
+        assert_equal(len(self.nodes[0].getaddednodeinfo()), 1)
         self.log.info("Check that trying to remove the node again returns an error")
         assert_raises_rpc_error(-24, "Node could not be removed", self.nodes[0].addnode, node=ip_port, command='remove')
         self.log.info("Check that a non-existent node returns an error")