diff --git a/apps/simplex-store-service/src/StoreService/Config.hs b/apps/simplex-store-service/src/StoreService/Config.hs
index 11abb1587e..e702e7038e 100644
--- a/apps/simplex-store-service/src/StoreService/Config.hs
+++ b/apps/simplex-store-service/src/StoreService/Config.hs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import qualified Data.ByteArray as BA
 import Data.ByteArray.Encoding (Base (Base16), convertFromBase)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B
 import Data.Ini (Ini, iniGlobals, iniParser, keys, lookupValue, sections)
-import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe, isJust, isNothing)
 import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Text.Encoding (encodeUtf8)
@@ -255,6 +255,8 @@ parseConfig ini = do
   let lNamesStaticDir = T.unpack <$> present "listener" "names_static_dir"
       lNamesExportDir = T.unpack <$> present "listener" "names_export_dir"
       lNamesHosts = maybe [] (filter (not . T.null) . map (T.toLower . T.strip) . T.splitOn ",") (present "listener" "names_hosts")
+  when (isNothing lNamesStaticDir && (not (null lNamesHosts) || isJust lNamesExportDir)) $
+    Left "listener.names_static_dir is required with names_hosts or names_export_dir"
   btc <- btcpaySection
   str <- stripeSection
   iss <- issuerSection
diff --git a/tests/Bots/StoreService/ConfigTests.hs b/tests/Bots/StoreService/ConfigTests.hs
index 303c3a171a..af36e29d3d 100644
--- a/tests/Bots/StoreService/ConfigTests.hs
+++ b/tests/Bots/StoreService/ConfigTests.hs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 module Bots.StoreService.ConfigTests where
 
 import StoreService.Config
+import Control.Monad (forM_)
 import qualified Data.ByteArray as BA
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B
 import Data.Either (isLeft)
@@ -420,6 +421,7 @@ namesConfigTests = describe "StoreService names: config" $ do
   it "reads [names] and [chain], applying every documented default" testNamesDefaults
   it "reads every [names] and [chain] setting written out" testNamesWrittenOut
   it "reads the names keys of [listener]" testNamesListenerKeys
+  it "refuses names_hosts or names_export_dir without names_static_dir" testNamesSiteNeedsItsBuild
   it "leaves the names side off when [names] is absent" testNamesAbsent
   it "refuses [names] without [chain], and [chain] without [names]" testNamesNeedsChain
   it "refuses years below 2" testNamesYearsBelowTwo
@@ -524,6 +526,13 @@ testNamesListenerKeys = do
   let ListenerConfig {lNamesStaticDir = noDir, lNamesExportDir = noExport, lNamesHosts = noHosts} = listener plain
   (noDir, noExport, noHosts) `shouldBe` (Nothing, Nothing, [])
 
+testNamesSiteNeedsItsBuild :: IO ()
+testNamesSiteNeedsItsBuild =
+  forM_ ["names_hosts = simplex.domains", "names_export_dir = /srv/names-out"] $ \key -> do
+    let withKey = T.replace "static_dir = /srv/badges\n" ("static_dir = /srv/badges\n" <> key <> "\n") fullIni
+    r <- parseIni withKey
+    either id (const "parsed") r `shouldBe` "listener.names_static_dir is required with names_hosts or names_export_dir"
+
 testNamesAbsent :: IO ()
 testNamesAbsent = do
   Right cfg <- parseIni fullIni