diff --git a/lib/pack.js b/lib/pack.js
index 8e61efabb36e4..5c0da6be7b6e0 100644
--- a/lib/pack.js
+++ b/lib/pack.js
@@ -45,22 +45,34 @@ class Pack extends BaseCommand {
       args = ['.']
 
     const unicode = this.npm.config.get('unicode')
+    const dryRun = this.npm.config.get('dry-run')
 
-    // clone the opts because pacote mutates it with resolved/integrity
-    const tarballs = await Promise.all(args.map(async (arg) => {
+    // Get the manifests and filenames first so we can bail early on manifest
+    // errors before making any tarballs
+    const manifests = []
+    for (const arg of args) {
       const spec = npa(arg)
-      const dryRun = this.npm.config.get('dry-run')
       const manifest = await pacote.manifest(spec, this.npm.flatOptions)
+      if (!manifest._id)
+        throw new Error('Invalid package, must have name and version')
+
       const filename = `${manifest.name}-${manifest.version}.tgz`
         .replace(/^@/, '').replace(/\//, '-')
+      manifests.push({ arg, filename, manifest })
+    }
+
+    // Load tarball names up for printing afterward to isolate from the
+    // noise generated during packing
+    const tarballs = []
+    for (const { arg, filename, manifest } of manifests) {
       const tarballData = await libpack(arg, this.npm.flatOptions)
       const pkgContents = await getContents(manifest, tarballData)
 
       if (!dryRun)
         await writeFile(filename, tarballData)
 
-      return pkgContents
-    }))
+      tarballs.push(pkgContents)
+    }
 
     for (const tar of tarballs) {
       logTar(tar, { log, unicode })
diff --git a/test/lib/pack.js b/test/lib/pack.js
index 64f4d1258b9ce..6706042b4c82e 100644
--- a/test/lib/pack.js
+++ b/test/lib/pack.js
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ const mockPacote = {
   manifest: (spec) => {
     if (spec.type === 'directory')
       return pacote.manifest(spec)
-    return {
+    const m = {
       name: spec.name || 'test-package',
       version: spec.version || '1.0.0-test',
     }
+    m._id = `${m.name}@${m.version}`
+    return m
   },
 }
 
@@ -43,9 +45,8 @@ t.test('should pack current directory with no arguments', (t) => {
   })
   const pack = new Pack(npm)
 
-  pack.exec([], er => {
-    if (er)
-      throw er
+  pack.exec([], err => {
+    t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
     const filename = `npm-${require('../../package.json').version}.tgz`
     t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [[filename]])
@@ -79,9 +80,8 @@ t.test('should pack given directory', (t) => {
   })
   const pack = new Pack(npm)
 
-  pack.exec([testDir], er => {
-    if (er)
-      throw er
+  pack.exec([testDir], err => {
+    t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
     const filename = 'my-cool-pkg-1.0.0.tgz'
     t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [[filename]])
@@ -115,9 +115,8 @@ t.test('should pack given directory for scoped package', (t) => {
   })
   const pack = new Pack(npm)
 
-  return pack.exec([testDir], er => {
-    if (er)
-      throw er
+  return pack.exec([testDir], err => {
+    t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
     const filename = 'cool-my-pkg-1.0.0.tgz'
     t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [[filename]])
@@ -150,9 +149,8 @@ t.test('should log pack contents', (t) => {
   })
   const pack = new Pack(npm)
 
-  pack.exec([], er => {
-    if (er)
-      throw er
+  pack.exec([], err => {
+    t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
     const filename = `npm-${require('../../package.json').version}.tgz`
     t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [[filename]])
@@ -160,6 +158,38 @@ t.test('should log pack contents', (t) => {
   })
 })
 
+t.test('invalid packument', (t) => {
+  const mockPacote = {
+    manifest: () => {
+      return {}
+    },
+  }
+  const Pack = t.mock('../../lib/pack.js', {
+    libnpmpack,
+    pacote: mockPacote,
+    npmlog: {
+      notice: () => {},
+      showProgress: () => {},
+      clearProgress: () => {},
+    },
+  })
+  const npm = mockNpm({
+    config: {
+      unicode: true,
+      json: true,
+      'dry-run': true,
+    },
+    output,
+  })
+  const pack = new Pack(npm)
+  pack.exec([], err => {
+    t.match(err, { message: 'Invalid package, must have name and version' })
+
+    t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [])
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
 t.test('workspaces', (t) => {
   const testDir = t.testdir({
     'package.json': JSON.stringify({
@@ -201,9 +231,8 @@ t.test('workspaces', (t) => {
   const pack = new Pack(npm)
 
   t.test('all workspaces', (t) => {
-    pack.execWorkspaces([], [], er => {
-      if (er)
-        throw er
+    pack.execWorkspaces([], [], err => {
+      t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
       t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [
         ['workspace-a-1.0.0.tgz'],
@@ -214,9 +243,8 @@ t.test('workspaces', (t) => {
   })
 
   t.test('all workspaces, `.` first arg', (t) => {
-    pack.execWorkspaces(['.'], [], er => {
-      if (er)
-        throw er
+    pack.execWorkspaces(['.'], [], err => {
+      t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
       t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [
         ['workspace-a-1.0.0.tgz'],
@@ -227,9 +255,8 @@ t.test('workspaces', (t) => {
   })
 
   t.test('one workspace', (t) => {
-    pack.execWorkspaces([], ['workspace-a'], er => {
-      if (er)
-        throw er
+    pack.execWorkspaces([], ['workspace-a'], err => {
+      t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
       t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [
         ['workspace-a-1.0.0.tgz'],
@@ -239,9 +266,8 @@ t.test('workspaces', (t) => {
   })
 
   t.test('specific package', (t) => {
-    pack.execWorkspaces(['abbrev'], [], er => {
-      if (er)
-        throw er
+    pack.execWorkspaces(['abbrev'], [], err => {
+      t.error(err, { bail: true })
 
       t.strictSame(OUTPUT, [
         ['abbrev-1.0.0-test.tgz'],