diff --git a/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/common/model/corecommand/subcommand/RunWfRequestModel.java b/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/common/model/corecommand/subcommand/RunWfRequestModel.java
index 302037331..44614db25 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/common/model/corecommand/subcommand/RunWfRequestModel.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/common/model/corecommand/subcommand/RunWfRequestModel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.littlehorse.common.model.corecommand.subcommand;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.protobuf.Message;
 import io.grpc.Status;
 import io.littlehorse.common.LHSerializable;
@@ -91,8 +92,20 @@ public boolean hasResponse() {
         return true;
     }
 
+    private boolean isIdValid() {
+        return (!id.equals("") && LHUtil.isValidLHName(id));
+    }
+
     @Override
     public WfRun process(ProcessorExecutionContext processorContext, LHServerConfig config) {
+        if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(wfSpecName)) {
+            throw new LHApiException(Status.INVALID_ARGUMENT, "Missing required argument 'wf_spec_name'");
+        }
+
+        if (id != null && !this.isIdValid()) {
+            throw new LHApiException(Status.INVALID_ARGUMENT, "Optional argument 'id' must be a valid hostname");
+        }
+
         GetableManager getableManager = processorContext.getableManager();
         WfSpecModel spec = processorContext.service().getWfSpec(wfSpecName, majorVersion, revision);
         if (spec == null) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/server/LHServerListener.java b/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/server/LHServerListener.java
index e792f8fbe..121c33c06 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/server/LHServerListener.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/io/littlehorse/server/LHServerListener.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package io.littlehorse.server;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
 import com.google.protobuf.Empty;
 import com.google.protobuf.Message;
@@ -591,6 +592,16 @@ public void searchScheduledWfRun(SearchScheduledWfRunRequest req, StreamObserver
     @Override
     @Authorize(resources = ACLResource.ACL_WORKFLOW, actions = ACLAction.RUN)
     public void runWf(RunWfRequest req, StreamObserver<WfRun> ctx) {
+        if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(req.getWfSpecName())) {
+            throw new LHApiException(Status.INVALID_ARGUMENT, "Missing required argument 'wf_spec_name'");
+        }
+
+        if (req.hasId()) {
+            if (req.getId().equals("") || !LHUtil.isValidLHName(req.getId())) {
+                throw new LHApiException(Status.INVALID_ARGUMENT, "Optional argument 'id' must be a valid hostname");
+            }
+        }
+
         RunWfRequestModel reqModel = LHSerializable.fromProto(req, RunWfRequestModel.class, requestContext());
         processCommand(new CommandModel(reqModel), ctx, WfRun.class, true);
     }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/e2e/BasicTest.java b/server/src/test/java/e2e/BasicTest.java
index c3832ee6c..d716f0495 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/e2e/BasicTest.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/e2e/BasicTest.java
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 package e2e;
 
-import io.littlehorse.sdk.common.config.LHConfig;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+
+import io.grpc.Status.Code;
+import io.grpc.StatusRuntimeException;
 import io.littlehorse.sdk.common.proto.LHStatus;
+import io.littlehorse.sdk.common.proto.WfRunId;
 import io.littlehorse.sdk.wfsdk.Workflow;
 import io.littlehorse.sdk.wfsdk.internal.WorkflowImpl;
 import io.littlehorse.sdk.worker.LHTaskMethod;
@@ -9,6 +13,7 @@
 import io.littlehorse.test.LHWorkflow;
 import io.littlehorse.test.WithWorkers;
 import io.littlehorse.test.WorkflowVerifier;
+import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 @LHTest
@@ -19,8 +24,6 @@ public class BasicTest {
     @LHWorkflow("test-basic")
     private Workflow basicWf;
 
-    private LHConfig config;
-
     private WorkflowVerifier verifier;
 
     @Test
@@ -40,6 +43,17 @@ public Workflow getBasic() {
         });
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void runWfShouldFailWithInvalidId() {
+        StatusRuntimeException caught = assertThrows(StatusRuntimeException.class, () -> {
+            verifier.prepareRun(basicWf)
+                    .waitForStatus(LHStatus.COMPLETED)
+                    .start(WfRunId.newBuilder().setId("my_workflow").build());
+        });
+
+        Assertions.assertThat(caught.getStatus().getCode()).isEqualTo(Code.INVALID_ARGUMENT);
+    }
+
     public Object basicWorker() {
         return new BasicWorker();
     }