diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index e66c0b85..e97d0bbc 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ type ModuleConfig interface {
 	WithFSConfig(FSConfig) ModuleConfig
 
 	// WithName configures the module name. Defaults to what was decoded from
-	// the name section.
+	// the name section. Empty string ("") clears any name.
 	WithName(string) ModuleConfig
 
 	// WithStartFunctions configures the functions to call after the module is
@@ -597,6 +597,7 @@ type ModuleConfig interface {
 
 type moduleConfig struct {
 	name               string
+	nameSet            bool
 	startFunctions     []string
 	stdin              io.Reader
 	stdout             io.Writer
@@ -685,6 +686,7 @@ func (c *moduleConfig) WithFSConfig(config FSConfig) ModuleConfig {
 // WithName implements ModuleConfig.WithName
 func (c *moduleConfig) WithName(name string) ModuleConfig {
 	ret := c.clone()
+	ret.nameSet = true
 	ret.name = name
 	return ret
 }
diff --git a/config_test.go b/config_test.go
index 1174669f..c0824a41 100644
--- a/config_test.go
+++ b/config_test.go
@@ -100,29 +100,50 @@ func TestRuntimeConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestModuleConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		name     string
-		with     func(ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig
-		expected string
+		name          string
+		with          func(ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig
+		expectNameSet bool
+		expectedName  string
 	}{
+		{
+			name: "WithName default",
+			with: func(c ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig {
+				return c
+			},
+			expectNameSet: false,
+			expectedName:  "",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "WithName",
 			with: func(c ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig {
 				return c.WithName("wazero")
 			},
-			expected: "wazero",
+			expectNameSet: true,
+			expectedName:  "wazero",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "WithName empty",
 			with: func(c ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig {
 				return c.WithName("")
 			},
+			expectNameSet: true,
+			expectedName:  "",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "WithName twice",
 			with: func(c ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig {
 				return c.WithName("wazero").WithName("wa0")
 			},
-			expected: "wa0",
+			expectNameSet: true,
+			expectedName:  "wa0",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "WithName can clear",
+			with: func(c ModuleConfig) ModuleConfig {
+				return c.WithName("wazero").WithName("")
+			},
+			expectNameSet: true,
+			expectedName:  "",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -131,7 +152,8 @@ func TestModuleConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			input := NewModuleConfig()
 			rc := tc.with(input)
-			require.Equal(t, tc.expected, rc.(*moduleConfig).name)
+			require.Equal(t, tc.expectNameSet, rc.(*moduleConfig).nameSet)
+			require.Equal(t, tc.expectedName, rc.(*moduleConfig).name)
 			// The source wasn't modified
 			require.Equal(t, NewModuleConfig(), input)
 		})
diff --git a/runtime.go b/runtime.go
index 6c5501e6..2d8f9461 100644
--- a/runtime.go
+++ b/runtime.go
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ func (r *runtime) InstantiateModule(
 	}
 
 	name := config.name
-	if name == "" && code.module.NameSection != nil && code.module.NameSection.ModuleName != "" {
+	if !config.nameSet && code.module.NameSection != nil && code.module.NameSection.ModuleName != "" {
 		name = code.module.NameSection.ModuleName
 	}
 
diff --git a/runtime_test.go b/runtime_test.go
index 420cfce9..1b5dfe92 100644
--- a/runtime_test.go
+++ b/runtime_test.go
@@ -446,19 +446,23 @@ func TestRuntime_InstantiateModule_WithName(t *testing.T) {
 	internal := r.(*runtime)
 	m1, err := r.InstantiateModule(testCtx, base, NewModuleConfig().WithName("1"))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "1", m1.Name())
 
 	require.Nil(t, internal.Module("0"))
 	require.Equal(t, internal.Module("1"), m1)
 
 	m2, err := r.InstantiateModule(testCtx, base, NewModuleConfig().WithName("2"))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "2", m2.Name())
 
 	require.Nil(t, internal.Module("0"))
 	require.Equal(t, internal.Module("2"), m2)
 
 	// Empty name module shouldn't be returned via Module() for future optimization.
-	_, err = r.InstantiateModule(testCtx, base, NewModuleConfig().WithName(""))
+	m3, err := r.InstantiateModule(testCtx, base, NewModuleConfig().WithName(""))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "", m3.Name())
+
 	ret := internal.Module("")
 	require.Nil(t, ret)
 }