diff --git a/src/cli/artifactCommands.ts b/src/cli/artifactCommands.ts
index 6b6b452e4..af2eab068 100644
--- a/src/cli/artifactCommands.ts
+++ b/src/cli/artifactCommands.ts
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ const registerInspectionCommand = (
     description:
       "Inspect one artifact and return all available observations and next probes",
     args: z.object({
-      path: z.string().describe("Application or package path"),
+      path: z.string().min(1).describe("Application or package path"),
     }),
     options: z.object({
       integrityPolicy: z
diff --git a/src/cli/coreBinaryCommands.ts b/src/cli/coreBinaryCommands.ts
index 710b39181..8902cf4e9 100644
--- a/src/cli/coreBinaryCommands.ts
+++ b/src/cli/coreBinaryCommands.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ const registerOverviewCommands = (
   cli.command(CLI_COMMANDS.analyze, {
     description: "Get an overview of an app",
     args: z.object({
-      path: z.string().describe("App, program, or analysis database path"),
+      path: z
+        .string()
+        .min(1)
+        .describe("App, program, or analysis database path"),
     }),
     options: overviewOptions.extend({
       integrityPolicy: javascriptApplicationOptions.shape.integrityPolicy,
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/emptyTargetPathCli.test.ts b/tests/acceptance/emptyTargetPathCli.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f6210d31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/emptyTargetPathCli.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+
+import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
+import { cliTest } from "../support/cli/cliFixture.js";
+
+cliTest.for(["analyze", "inspect-artifact"])(
+  "%s rejects an explicitly empty target before resolving it against cwd",
+  async (command, { cli }) => {
+    const cwd = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-empty-target-");
+    const result = await cli.run({
+      arguments: [command, "", "--json"],
+      cwd,
+    });
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.json).toMatchObject({ code: "VALIDATION_ERROR" });
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("path");
+    expect(result.stdout).not.toContain("directory_requires_file");
+  },
+);
+
+cliTest(
+  "inspect-artifact still admits an explicitly selected current directory",
+  async ({ cli }) => {
+    const cwd = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-explicit-target-");
+    const result = await cli.run({
+      arguments: ["inspect-artifact", ".", "--json"],
+      cwd,
+    });
+    expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.json).toMatchObject({
+      code: "target_unavailable",
+      details: { path: cwd, constraint: "directory_requires_file" },
+    });
+  },
+);