diff --git a/library/system/cron b/library/system/cron
index f877fc27214..8f783d24c00 100644
--- a/library/system/cron
+++ b/library/system/cron
@@ -455,6 +455,9 @@ def main():
     if job is None and do_install:
         module.fail_json(msg="You must specify 'job' to install a new cron job")
 
+    if job and name is None and not do_install:
+        module.fail_json(msg="You must specify 'name' to remove a cron job")
+
     if reboot:
         if special_time:
             module.fail_json(msg="reboot and special_time are mutually exclusive")
@@ -466,7 +469,7 @@ def main():
         (backuph, backup_file) = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='crontab')
         crontab.write(backup_file)
 
-    if crontab.cron_file and not do_install:
+    if crontab.cron_file and not name and not do_install:
         changed = crontab.remove_job_file()
         module.exit_json(changed=changed,cron_file=cron_file,state=state)