diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 09d00018de..3f3171a03b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- fix invalid profiles when the transaction name is empty ([#3747](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3747))
 - Deprecate `enableTracing` option ([#3777](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3777))
 - Vendor `java.util.Random` and replace `java.security.SecureRandom` usages ([#3783](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3783))
 - Fix potential ANRs due to NDK scope sync ([#3754](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-java/pull/3754))
diff --git a/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/AndroidTransactionProfilerTest.kt b/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/AndroidTransactionProfilerTest.kt
index 02cda7d23b..df64e20b16 100644
--- a/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/AndroidTransactionProfilerTest.kt
+++ b/sentry-android-core/src/test/java/io/sentry/android/core/AndroidTransactionProfilerTest.kt
@@ -360,6 +360,17 @@ class AndroidTransactionProfilerTest {
         verify(mockExecutorService, never()).submit(any<Callable<*>>())
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `profiling transaction with empty name fallbacks to unknown`() {
+        val profiler = fixture.getSut(context)
+        profiler.start()
+        profiler.bindTransaction(fixture.transaction1)
+        val profilingTraceData = profiler.onTransactionFinish(fixture.transaction1, null, fixture.options)
+        assertNotNull(profilingTraceData)
+        assertEquals("unknown", profilingTraceData.transactionName)
+        assertEquals("unknown", profilingTraceData.transactions.first().name)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `profiler does not throw if traces cannot be written to disk`() {
         File(fixture.options.profilingTracesDirPath!!).setWritable(false)
diff --git a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTraceData.java b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTraceData.java
index 17332b5931..3998735917 100644
--- a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTraceData.java
+++ b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTraceData.java
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public ProfilingTraceData(
 
     // Transaction info
     this.transactions = transactions;
-    this.transactionName = transactionName;
+    this.transactionName = transactionName.isEmpty() ? "unknown" : transactionName;
     this.durationNs = durationNanos;
 
     // App info
diff --git a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTransactionData.java b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTransactionData.java
index 045b859f05..84d149ef15 100644
--- a/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTransactionData.java
+++ b/sentry/src/main/java/io/sentry/ProfilingTransactionData.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public ProfilingTransactionData(
       @NotNull ITransaction transaction, @NotNull Long startNs, @NotNull Long startCpuMs) {
     this.id = transaction.getEventId().toString();
     this.traceId = transaction.getSpanContext().getTraceId().toString();
-    this.name = transaction.getName();
+    this.name = transaction.getName().isEmpty() ? "unknown" : transaction.getName();
     this.relativeStartNs = startNs;
     this.relativeStartCpuMs = startCpuMs;
   }
diff --git a/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/JsonSerializerTest.kt b/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/JsonSerializerTest.kt
index ba8ee84d51..37c1870288 100644
--- a/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/JsonSerializerTest.kt
+++ b/sentry/src/test/java/io/sentry/JsonSerializerTest.kt
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ class JsonSerializerTest {
                 mapOf(
                     "trace_id" to "00000000000000000000000000000000",
                     "relative_cpu_end_ms" to null,
-                    "name" to "",
+                    "name" to "unknown",
                     "relative_start_ns" to 1,
                     "relative_end_ns" to null,
                     "id" to "00000000000000000000000000000000",
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ class JsonSerializerTest {
                 mapOf(
                     "trace_id" to "00000000000000000000000000000000",
                     "relative_cpu_end_ms" to null,
-                    "name" to "",
+                    "name" to "unknown",
                     "relative_start_ns" to 2,
                     "relative_end_ns" to null,
                     "id" to "00000000000000000000000000000000",