diff --git a/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs
index 86a9339..b2474c2 100644
--- a/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ enum Command {
         /// Only show findings with this verdict
         #[arg(long, value_enum)]
         verdict: Option<VerdictFilter>,
-        /// Load rules from a JSON file instead of the embedded database
+        /// Load rules from a JSON file; embedded protected rules still apply
         #[arg(long, value_name = "FILE")]
         rules: Option<PathBuf>,
     },
diff --git a/crates/diskern-core/src/rules.rs b/crates/diskern-core/src/rules.rs
index ef4cd93..25a0b2e 100644
--- a/crates/diskern-core/src/rules.rs
+++ b/crates/diskern-core/src/rules.rs
@@ -81,6 +81,15 @@ impl RulesDb {
     /// for a rule that can never match.
     pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<()> {
         for rule in &self.rules {
+            // An empty pattern list compiles cleanly into a GlobSet that
+            // matches nothing, so it fails the same way a bad glob does —
+            // silently, and only for the rule the author cared about.
+            if rule.patterns.is_empty() {
+                return Err(GenomeError::Rules(format!(
+                    "rule '{}' has no patterns, so it can never match",
+                    rule.id
+                )));
+            }
             for pattern in &rule.patterns {
                 build_glob(pattern).map_err(|error| {
                     GenomeError::Rules(format!(
@@ -274,6 +283,26 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(error.to_string().contains("invalid glob pattern"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn rules_without_patterns_are_rejected() {
+        let db = RulesDb::new(
+            1,
+            vec![Rule {
+                id: "empty".into(),
+                patterns: vec![],
+                category: Category::Unknown,
+                verdict: Verdict::Review,
+                description: "rule with no patterns".into(),
+            }],
+        );
+
+        let error = db
+            .validate()
+            .expect_err("a rule with no patterns must fail validation");
+        assert!(error.to_string().contains("empty"));
+        assert!(error.to_string().contains("can never match"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn embedded_protected_rules_precede_external_rules() {
         let external = RulesDb::new(