diff --git a/src/profileCommands.service.ts b/src/profileCommands.service.ts
index 5bdd45e..c16804e 100644
--- a/src/profileCommands.service.ts
+++ b/src/profileCommands.service.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ const assertKeys = (input: JsonObject, allowed: readonly string[], label: string
 
 const text = (input: JsonObject, key: string, max: number, requiredField: boolean): void => {
   const value = input[key]
-  if (value === undefined && !requiredField) return
+  if (value === undefined) {
+    if (requiredField) throw new Error(`${key} is required`)
+    return
+  }
   if (typeof value !== 'string' || value.length > max) throw new Error(`${key} must be text of at most ${max} characters`)
 }
 
diff --git a/test/profileCommands.service.test.ts b/test/profileCommands.service.test.ts
index a05c2a0..8bff418 100644
--- a/test/profileCommands.service.test.ts
+++ b/test/profileCommands.service.test.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,15 @@ describe('profile commands', () => {
     expect(test.errors[1]).toContain('supported profile icon')
   })
 
+  it('reports a missing required text field as required, not as too long', async () => {
+    const json: JsonMock = vi.fn(async () => ({ revision: 9 }))
+    const test = harness(json)
+    await expect(runCli(['profiles', 'actions', 'create', 'custom', 'profile1', '--name', 'n'], test.dependencies)).resolves.toBe(CliExitCode.USAGE)
+    await expect(runCli(['profiles', 'create', '--name', 'n', '--description', 'd'], test.dependencies)).resolves.toBe(CliExitCode.USAGE)
+    expect(test.errors).toEqual([expect.stringContaining('prompt is required'), expect.stringContaining('prompt is required')])
+    expect(json).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('rejects unknown, inapplicable, impossible, and trailing input before opening a profile request', async () => {
     const json: JsonMock = vi.fn(async () => ({ revision: 9 }))
     const test = harness(json)