diff --git a/src/catch2/internal/catch_commandline.cpp b/src/catch2/internal/catch_commandline.cpp
index 4ce085ca..ca0e1c20 100644
--- a/src/catch2/internal/catch_commandline.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/internal/catch_commandline.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,10 @@ namespace Catch {
             return ParserResult::ok( ParseResultType::Matched );
         };
         auto const setReporter = [&]( std::string const& reporterSpec ) {
+            if ( reporterSpec.empty() ) {
+                return ParserResult::runtimeError( "Received empty reporter spec." );
+            }
+
             IReporterRegistry::FactoryMap const& factories = getRegistryHub().getReporterRegistry().getFactories();
 
             // clear the default reporter
@@ -143,21 +147,33 @@ namespace Catch {
                 config._nonDefaultReporterSpecifications = true;
             }
 
+
             // Exactly one of the reporters may be specified without an output
             // file, in which case it defaults to the output specified by "-o"
             // (or standard output).
             static constexpr auto separator = "::";
             static constexpr size_t separatorSize = 2;
-            auto separatorPos = reporterSpec.find( separator );
-            const bool containsFileName = separatorPos != reporterSpec.npos;
+            auto fileNameSeparatorPos = reporterSpec.find( separator );
+            const bool containsFileName = fileNameSeparatorPos != reporterSpec.npos;
+            if ( containsFileName ) {
+                auto nextSeparatorPos = reporterSpec.find(
+                    separator, fileNameSeparatorPos + separatorSize );
+                if ( nextSeparatorPos != reporterSpec.npos ) {
+                    return ParserResult::runtimeError(
+                        "Too many separators in reporter spec '" + reporterSpec + '\'' );
+                }
+            }
+
             std::string reporterName;
             Optional<std::string> outputFileName;
-            if (!containsFileName) {
-                reporterName = reporterSpec;
-            } else {
-                reporterName = reporterSpec.substr( 0, separatorPos );
+            reporterName = reporterSpec.substr( 0, fileNameSeparatorPos );
+            if ( reporterName.empty() ) {
+                return ParserResult::runtimeError( "Reporter name cannot be empty." );
+            }
+
+            if ( containsFileName ) {
                 outputFileName = reporterSpec.substr(
-                    separatorPos + separatorSize, reporterSpec.size() );
+                    fileNameSeparatorPos + separatorSize, reporterSpec.size() );
             }
 
             auto result = factories.find( reporterName );
diff --git a/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLine.tests.cpp b/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLine.tests.cpp
index 2210a3a4..53fc08b8 100644
--- a/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLine.tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/CmdLine.tests.cpp
@@ -682,3 +682,20 @@ TEST_CASE("Test with special, characters \"in name", "[cli][regression]") {
     // This test case succeeds if we can invoke it from the CLI
     SUCCEED();
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("Various suspicious reporter specs are rejected",
+          "[cli][reporter-spec][approvals]") {
+    Catch::ConfigData config;
+    auto cli = Catch::makeCommandLineParser( config );
+
+    auto spec = GENERATE( as<std::string>{},
+                          "",
+                          "::console",
+                          "console::",
+                          "console::some-file::",
+                          "::console::some-file::" );
+    CAPTURE( spec );
+
+    auto result = cli.parse( { "test", "--reporter", spec } );
+    REQUIRE_FALSE( result );
+}