diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 925c4dfb..27cd4f0d 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -197,6 +197,12 @@ function base() {
      * @returns {void}
      */
     function addPreset(result) {
+      if (!('plugins' in result) && !('settings' in result)) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'Expected usable value but received an empty preset, which is probably a mistake: presets typically come with `plugins` and sometimes with `settings`, but this has neither'
+        )
+      }
+
       addList(result.plugins)
 
       if (result.settings) {
diff --git a/test/use.js b/test/use.js
index 1a3eb423..0c9591ab 100644
--- a/test/use.js
+++ b/test/use.js
@@ -308,11 +308,13 @@ test('use(preset)', (t) => {
     'should throw on invalid `plugins` (2)'
   )
 
-  t.test('should support empty presets', (t) => {
-    const processor = unified().use({}).freeze()
-    t.equal(processor.attachers.length, 0)
-    t.end()
-  })
+  t.throws(
+    () => {
+      unified().use({}).freeze()
+    },
+    /Expected usable value but received an empty preset/,
+    'should throw on empty presets'
+  )
 
   t.test('should support presets with empty plugins', (t) => {
     const processor = unified().use({plugins: []}).freeze()