diff --git a/models/points.go b/models/points.go
index 6df1b22184c..336dc4f2836 100644
--- a/models/points.go
+++ b/models/points.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package models
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash/fnv"
 	"math"
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ var (
 		' ': []byte(`\ `),
 		'=': []byte(`\=`),
 	}
+
+	ErrPointMustHaveAField = errors.New("point without fields is unsupported")
 )
 
 // Point defines the values that will be written to the database
@@ -37,7 +40,6 @@ type Point interface {
 	SetTags(tags Tags)
 
 	Fields() Fields
-	AddField(name string, value interface{})
 
 	Time() time.Time
 	SetTime(t time.Time)
@@ -1063,7 +1065,7 @@ func unescapeStringField(in string) string {
 // an unsupported field value (NaN) or out of range time is passed, this function returns an error.
 func NewPoint(name string, tags Tags, fields Fields, time time.Time) (Point, error) {
 	if len(fields) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Point without fields is unsupported")
+		return nil, ErrPointMustHaveAField
 	}
 	if !time.IsZero() {
 		if err := CheckTime(time); err != nil {
@@ -1078,6 +1080,9 @@ func NewPoint(name string, tags Tags, fields Fields, time time.Time) (Point, err
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("NaN is an unsupported value for field %s", key)
 			}
 		}
+		if len(key) == 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("all fields must have non-empty names")
+		}
 	}
 
 	return &point{
@@ -1092,6 +1097,9 @@ func NewPointFromBytes(b []byte) (Point, error) {
 	if err := p.UnmarshalBinary(b); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if len(p.Fields()) == 0 {
+		return nil, ErrPointMustHaveAField
+	}
 	return p, nil
 }
 
@@ -1212,14 +1220,6 @@ func (p *point) Fields() Fields {
 	return p.cachedFields
 }
 
-// AddField adds or replaces a field value for a point
-func (p *point) AddField(name string, value interface{}) {
-	fields := p.Fields()
-	fields[name] = value
-	p.fields = fields.MarshalBinary()
-	p.cachedFields = nil
-}
-
 // SetPrecision will round a time to the specified precision
 func (p *point) SetPrecision(precision string) {
 	switch precision {
@@ -1394,38 +1394,37 @@ func newFieldsFromBinary(buf []byte) Fields {
 		}
 
 		i, name = scanTo(buf, i, '=')
-		if len(name) == 0 {
-			continue
-		}
 		name = escape.Unescape(name)
 
 		i, valueBuf = scanFieldValue(buf, i+1)
-		if len(valueBuf) == 0 {
-			fields[string(name)] = nil
-			continue
-		}
+		if len(name) > 0 {
+			if len(valueBuf) == 0 {
+				fields[string(name)] = nil
+				continue
+			}
 
-		// If the first char is a double-quote, then unmarshal as string
-		if valueBuf[0] == '"' {
-			value = unescapeStringField(string(valueBuf[1 : len(valueBuf)-1]))
-			// Check for numeric characters and special NaN or Inf
-		} else if (valueBuf[0] >= '0' && valueBuf[0] <= '9') || valueBuf[0] == '-' || valueBuf[0] == '+' || valueBuf[0] == '.' ||
-			valueBuf[0] == 'N' || valueBuf[0] == 'n' || // NaN
-			valueBuf[0] == 'I' || valueBuf[0] == 'i' { // Inf
+			// If the first char is a double-quote, then unmarshal as string
+			if valueBuf[0] == '"' {
+				value = unescapeStringField(string(valueBuf[1 : len(valueBuf)-1]))
+				// Check for numeric characters and special NaN or Inf
+			} else if (valueBuf[0] >= '0' && valueBuf[0] <= '9') || valueBuf[0] == '-' || valueBuf[0] == '+' || valueBuf[0] == '.' ||
+				valueBuf[0] == 'N' || valueBuf[0] == 'n' || // NaN
+				valueBuf[0] == 'I' || valueBuf[0] == 'i' { // Inf
 
-			value, err = parseNumber(valueBuf)
-			if err != nil {
-				panic(fmt.Sprintf("unable to parse number value '%v': %v", string(valueBuf), err))
-			}
+				value, err = parseNumber(valueBuf)
+				if err != nil {
+					panic(fmt.Sprintf("unable to parse number value '%v': %v", string(valueBuf), err))
+				}
 
-			// Otherwise parse it as bool
-		} else {
-			value, err = strconv.ParseBool(string(valueBuf))
-			if err != nil {
-				panic(fmt.Sprintf("unable to parse bool value '%v': %v\n", string(valueBuf), err))
+				// Otherwise parse it as bool
+			} else {
+				value, err = strconv.ParseBool(string(valueBuf))
+				if err != nil {
+					panic(fmt.Sprintf("unable to parse bool value '%v': %v\n", string(valueBuf), err))
+				}
 			}
+			fields[string(name)] = value
 		}
-		fields[string(name)] = value
 		i++
 	}
 	return fields
diff --git a/models/points_test.go b/models/points_test.go
index b8afae9ee5c..49f6079bfa5 100644
--- a/models/points_test.go
+++ b/models/points_test.go
@@ -1774,20 +1774,10 @@ t159,label=another a=2i,value=1i 1`
 }
 
 func TestNewPointsWithBytesWithCorruptData(t *testing.T) {
-	ch := make(chan error)
-	go func() {
-		corrupted := []byte{0, 0, 0, 3, 102, 111, 111, 0, 0, 0, 4, 61, 34, 65, 34, 1, 0, 0, 0, 14, 206, 86, 119, 24, 32, 72, 233, 168, 2, 148}
-		p, err := models.NewPointFromBytes(corrupted)
-		p.Fields() // this method should always return, even if the data is corrupt.
-		ch <- err
-	}()
-	select {
-	case err := <-ch:
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: got: %v, expected: nil", err)
-		}
-	case _ = <-time.NewTimer(time.Second).C:
-		t.Fatalf("probable infite loop. got: timeout, expected: return")
+	corrupted := []byte{0, 0, 0, 3, 102, 111, 111, 0, 0, 0, 4, 61, 34, 65, 34, 1, 0, 0, 0, 14, 206, 86, 119, 24, 32, 72, 233, 168, 2, 148}
+	p, err := models.NewPointFromBytes(corrupted)
+	if p != nil || err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewPointFromBytes: got: (%v, %v), expected: (nil, error)", p, err)
 	}
 }