diff --git a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsAction.java b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsAction.java
index 873f6363b30..e48f2d1acd6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsAction.java
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ public class RefreshDnsForAllDomainsAction implements Runnable {
 
   @Override
   public void run() {
+    checkArgument(!tlds.isEmpty(), "Must specify TLDs to refresh");
     assertTldsExist(tlds);
     checkArgument(batchSize > 0, "Must specify a positive number for batch size");
     logger.atInfo().log("Enqueueing DNS refresh tasks for TLDs %s.", tlds);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsActionTest.java b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsActionTest.java
index 863728f5710..c10b4e81c88 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsActionTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/google/registry/tools/server/RefreshDnsForAllDomainsActionTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import static google.registry.testing.DatabaseHelper.persistActiveDomain;
 import static google.registry.testing.DatabaseHelper.persistDeletedDomain;
 import static google.registry.util.DateTimeUtils.minusYears;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
@@ -151,4 +152,18 @@ void test_successfullyBatchesNames() {
     action.run();
     assertDnsRequestsWithRequestTime(clock.now(), 11);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void test_runAction_emptyTlds_throwsException() {
+    action =
+        new RefreshDnsForAllDomainsAction(
+            response,
+            ImmutableSet.of(),
+            Optional.of(10),
+            Optional.empty(),
+            Optional.empty(),
+            new Random());
+    IllegalArgumentException thrown = assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, action::run);
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().isEqualTo("Must specify TLDs to refresh");
+  }
 }