diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctions.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctions.java
index 39eadbb4ac81d1..aae8a7a69f89d2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctions.java
@@ -1208,7 +1208,7 @@ public Object call(StarlarkThread thread, Tuple args, Dict<String, Object> kwarg
           // The less magic the better. Do not give in those temptations!
           Dict.Builder<String, Object> initializerKwargs = Dict.builder();
           for (var attr : currentRuleClass.getAttributes()) {
-            if (attr.isPublic() && attr.starlarkDefined()) {
+            if ((attr.isPublic() && attr.starlarkDefined()) || attr.getName().equals("name")) {
               if (kwargs.containsKey(attr.getName())) {
                 Object value = kwargs.get(attr.getName());
                 if (value == Starlark.NONE) {
@@ -1238,6 +1238,12 @@ public Object call(StarlarkThread thread, Tuple args, Dict<String, Object> kwarg
                   : Dict.cast(ret, String.class, Object.class, "rule's initializer return value");
 
           for (var arg : newKwargs.keySet()) {
+            if (arg.equals("name")) {
+              if (!kwargs.get("name").equals(newKwargs.get("name"))) {
+                throw Starlark.errorf("Initializer can't change the name of the target");
+              }
+              continue;
+            }
             checkAttributeName(arg);
             if (arg.startsWith("_")) {
               // allow setting private attributes from initializers in builtins
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlarkbuildapi/StarlarkRuleFunctionsApi.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlarkbuildapi/StarlarkRuleFunctionsApi.java
index efad37499e5696..a16b51b66848fd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlarkbuildapi/StarlarkRuleFunctionsApi.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlarkbuildapi/StarlarkRuleFunctionsApi.java
@@ -482,8 +482,8 @@ StarlarkCallable macro(StarlarkFunction implementation, StarlarkThread thread)
             doc =
                 "Experimental: the Stalark function initializing the attributes of the rule. "
                     + "<p>The function is called at load time for each instance of the rule. It's "
-                    + "called with values of public attributes defined by the rule (not with "
-                    + "generic attributes, for example <code>name</code> or <code>tags</code>). "
+                    + "called with <code>name</code> and the values of public attributes defined by"
+                    + "the rule (not with generic attributes, for example <code>tags</code>). "
                     + "<p>It has to return a dictionary from the attribute names to the desired "
                     + "values. The attributes that are not returned are unaffected. Returning "
                     + "<code>None</code> as value results in using the default value specified in "
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctionsTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctionsTest.java
index 309b7884ec9e29..67fab2c94af72c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctionsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/starlark/StarlarkRuleClassFunctionsTest.java
@@ -2966,7 +2966,7 @@ public void initializer_basic() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  return {'deps': deps + ['//:added']}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  return [MyInfo(",
@@ -2994,6 +2994,49 @@ public void initializer_basic() throws Exception {
     assertThat((List<String>) info.getValue("deps")).containsExactly("@@//:initial", "@@//:added");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void initializer_nameUnchanged() throws Exception {
+    scratch.file(
+        "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
+        "def initializer(name, **kwargs):",
+        "  if name != 'my_target':",
+        "     fail()",
+        "  return {'name': name} | kwargs",
+        "MyInfo = provider()",
+        "def impl(ctx): ",
+        "  pass",
+        "my_rule = rule(impl, initializer = initializer)");
+    scratch.file(
+        "initializer_testing/BUILD", //
+        "load(':b.bzl','my_rule')",
+        "my_rule(name = 'my_target')");
+
+    getConfiguredTarget("//initializer_testing:my_target");
+
+    assertNoEvents();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void initializer_nameChanged() throws Exception {
+    scratch.file(
+        "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
+        "def initializer(name, **kwargs):",
+        "  return {'name': 'my_new_name'}",
+        "def impl(ctx): ",
+        "  pass",
+        "my_rule = rule(impl, initializer = initializer)");
+    scratch.file(
+        "initializer_testing/BUILD", //
+        "load(':b.bzl','my_rule')",
+        "my_rule(name = 'my_target')");
+
+    reporter.removeHandler(failFastHandler);
+    reporter.addHandler(ev.getEventCollector());
+    getConfiguredTarget("//initializer_testing:my_target");
+
+    ev.assertContainsError("Error in my_rule: Initializer can't change the name of the target");
+  }
+
   @Test
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   public void initializer_stringListDict() throws Exception {
@@ -3066,7 +3109,7 @@ public void initializer_legacyAnyType() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(tristate = -1):",
+        "def initializer(name, tristate = -1):",
         "  return {'tristate': int(tristate)}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  return [MyInfo(tristate = ctx.attr.tristate)]",
@@ -3126,7 +3169,7 @@ public void initializer_withSelect() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(srcs = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = []):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs + ['b.ml']}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  return [MyInfo(",
@@ -3186,7 +3229,7 @@ public void initializer_overridesAttributeDefault() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(deps = ['//:initializer_default']):",
+        "def initializer(name, deps = ['//:initializer_default']):",
         "  return {'deps': deps}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  return [MyInfo(",
@@ -3221,7 +3264,7 @@ public void initializer_returningNoneSetsDefault() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(deps = ['//:initializer_default']):",
+        "def initializer(name, deps = ['//:initializer_default']):",
         "  return {'deps': None}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  return [MyInfo(",
@@ -3251,7 +3294,7 @@ public void initializer_omittedValueIsNotPassed() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(srcs):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3278,7 +3321,7 @@ public void initializer_noneValueIsNotPassed() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
-        "def initializer(srcs):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3303,7 +3346,7 @@ public void initializer_noneValueIsNotPassed() throws Exception {
   public void initializer_incorrectReturnType() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = []):",
         "  return [srcs]",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3328,7 +3371,7 @@ public void initializer_incorrectReturnType() throws Exception {
   public void initializer_incorrectReturnDicts() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = []):",
         "  return {True: srcs}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3354,7 +3397,7 @@ public void initializer_failsSettingBaseAttribute() throws Exception {
     // 'args' is an attribute defined for all executable rules
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, 'deps': deps, 'args': ['a']}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3381,7 +3424,7 @@ public void initializer_failsSettingBaseAttribute() throws Exception {
   public void initializer_failsSettingPrivateAttribute_outsideBuiltins() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, '_tool': ':my_tool'}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3412,7 +3455,7 @@ public void initializer_settingPrivateAttribute_insideBuiltins() throws Exceptio
     scratch.file("initializer_testing/builtins/BUILD", "filegroup(name='my_tool')");
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/builtins/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, '_tool': ':my_tool'}",
         "MyInfo = provider()",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
@@ -3443,7 +3486,7 @@ public void initializer_settingPrivateAttribute_insideBuiltins() throws Exceptio
   public void initializer_failsSettingUnknownAttr() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, 'my_deps': deps}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
         "  pass",
@@ -3469,7 +3512,7 @@ public void initializer_failsSettingUnknownAttr() throws Exception {
   public void initializer_failsCreatingAnotherRule() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  native.java_library(name = 'jl', srcs = ['a.java'])",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, 'deps': deps}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
@@ -3497,7 +3540,7 @@ public void initializer_failsCreatingAnotherRule() throws Exception {
   public void initializer_failsWithExistingRules() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  native.existing_rules()",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, 'deps': deps}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
@@ -3524,7 +3567,7 @@ public void initializer_failsWithExistingRules() throws Exception {
   public void initializer_withFails() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "initializer_testing/b.bzl",
-        "def initializer(srcs = [], deps = []):",
+        "def initializer(name, srcs = [], deps = []):",
         "  fail('Fail called in initializer')",
         "  return {'srcs': srcs, 'deps': deps}",
         "def impl(ctx): ",
@@ -3653,7 +3696,7 @@ public void extendRule_withInitializers() throws Exception {
     scratch.file(
         "extend_rule_testing/parent/parent.bzl",
         "ParentInfo = provider()",
-        "def _parent_initializer(srcs, deps):", // only parents attributes
+        "def _parent_initializer(name, srcs, deps):", // only parents attributes
         "  return {'deps': deps + ['//extend_rule_testing:parent_dep']}",
         "def _impl(ctx):",
         "  return [ParentInfo()]",
@@ -3670,7 +3713,7 @@ public void extendRule_withInitializers() throws Exception {
         "extend_rule_testing/child.bzl",
         "load('//extend_rule_testing/parent:parent.bzl', 'parent_library')",
         "ChildInfo = provider()",
-        "def _child_initializer(srcs, deps, runtime_deps = []):",
+        "def _child_initializer(name, srcs, deps, runtime_deps = []):",
         "  return {'deps': deps + [':child_dep'], 'runtime_deps': runtime_deps + [':runtime_dep']}",
         "def _impl(ctx):",
         "  return ctx.super() + [ChildInfo(",