diff --git a/sdk/metrics/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkProvider.java b/sdk/metrics/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkProvider.java
index dae53e29244..921d3eef866 100644
--- a/sdk/metrics/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkProvider.java
+++ b/sdk/metrics/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkProvider.java
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 /**
  * {@code Meter} provider implementation for {@link MeterProvider}.
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@
  */
 public final class MeterSdkProvider implements MeterProvider {
 
+  private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(MeterSdkProvider.class.getName());
+  private static final String defaultMeterName = "unknown";
   private final MeterSdkComponentRegistry registry;
   private final MetricProducer metricProducer;
 
@@ -41,11 +45,17 @@ private MeterSdkProvider(Clock clock, Resource resource) {
 
   @Override
   public MeterSdk get(String instrumentationName) {
-    return registry.get(instrumentationName);
+    return get(instrumentationName, null);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public MeterSdk get(String instrumentationName, String instrumentationVersion) {
+  public MeterSdk get(String instrumentationName, @Nullable String instrumentationVersion) {
+    // Per the spec, both null and empty are "invalid" and a "default" should be used. See commit
+    //   message for further details.
+    if (instrumentationName == null || instrumentationName.isEmpty()) {
+      logger.warning("Meter requested without instrumentation name.");
+      instrumentationName = defaultMeterName;
+    }
     return registry.get(instrumentationName, instrumentationVersion);
   }
 
diff --git a/sdk/metrics/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkRegistryTest.java b/sdk/metrics/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkRegistryTest.java
index fa7dabaa247..4c665f4a0fc 100644
--- a/sdk/metrics/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkRegistryTest.java
+++ b/sdk/metrics/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/MeterSdkRegistryTest.java
@@ -101,4 +101,22 @@ void metricProducer_GetAllMetrics() {
                 Collections.singletonList(
                     LongPoint.create(testClock.now(), testClock.now(), Labels.empty(), 10))));
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void suppliesDefaultMeterForNullName() {
+    MeterSdk meter = meterProvider.get(null);
+    assertThat(meter.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+
+    meter = meterProvider.get(null, null);
+    assertThat(meter.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void suppliesDefaultMeterForEmptyName() {
+    MeterSdk meter = meterProvider.get("");
+    assertThat(meter.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+
+    meter = meterProvider.get("", "");
+    assertThat(meter.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+  }
 }
diff --git a/sdk/tracing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProvider.java b/sdk/tracing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProvider.java
index 9ae82d69c70..0247a22f0e7 100644
--- a/sdk/tracing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProvider.java
+++ b/sdk/tracing/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProvider.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.internal.MillisClock;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.resources.Resource;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.trace.config.TraceConfig;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@
  */
 public class TracerSdkProvider implements TracerProvider, TracerSdkManagement {
   private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(TracerSdkProvider.class.getName());
+  private static final String defaultTracerName = "unknown";
   private final TracerSharedState sharedState;
   private final TracerSdkComponentRegistry tracerSdkComponentRegistry;
 
@@ -47,11 +49,17 @@ private TracerSdkProvider(Clock clock, IdGenerator idsGenerator, Resource resour
 
   @Override
   public Tracer get(String instrumentationName) {
-    return tracerSdkComponentRegistry.get(instrumentationName);
+    return get(instrumentationName, null);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Tracer get(String instrumentationName, String instrumentationVersion) {
+  public Tracer get(String instrumentationName, @Nullable String instrumentationVersion) {
+    // Per the spec, both null and empty are "invalid" and a "default" should be used. See commit
+    //   message for further details.
+    if (instrumentationName == null || instrumentationName.isEmpty()) {
+      logger.warning("Tracer requested without instrumentation name.");
+      instrumentationName = defaultTracerName;
+    }
     return tracerSdkComponentRegistry.get(instrumentationName, instrumentationVersion);
   }
 
diff --git a/sdk/tracing/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProviderTest.java b/sdk/tracing/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProviderTest.java
index a72cb6926d2..79fbecb4ae8 100644
--- a/sdk/tracing/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProviderTest.java
+++ b/sdk/tracing/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/TracerSdkProviderTest.java
@@ -134,4 +134,22 @@ void returnNoopSpanAfterShutdown() {
     assertThat(span.getSpanContext().isValid()).isFalse();
     span.end();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void suppliesDefaultTracerForNullName() {
+    TracerSdk tracer = (TracerSdk) tracerFactory.get(null);
+    assertThat(tracer.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+
+    tracer = (TracerSdk) tracerFactory.get(null, null);
+    assertThat(tracer.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void suppliesDefaultTracerForEmptyName() {
+    TracerSdk tracer = (TracerSdk) tracerFactory.get("");
+    assertThat(tracer.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+
+    tracer = (TracerSdk) tracerFactory.get("", "");
+    assertThat(tracer.getInstrumentationLibraryInfo().getName()).isEqualTo("unknown");
+  }
 }