diff --git a/Coder.Test/Ast/UnfilledNodeCloneTests.cs b/Coder.Test/Ast/UnfilledNodeCloneTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa54519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Coder.Test/Ast/UnfilledNodeCloneTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2023-2026 ktsu-dev contributors
+
+namespace ktsu.Coder.Test.Ast;
+
+using System.Reflection;
+using ktsu.Coder.Ast;
+using ktsu.Coder.Languages;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Tests that a node nobody has filled in yet can still be cloned.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>
+/// A node dropped in the editor, or read from YAML with a key missing, holds whatever its
+/// parameterless constructor gave it. The generators clone whole types before they write them, so a
+/// clone that validates what it copies turns a half-built AST into an exception out of generation.
+/// </remarks>
+[TestClass]
+public class UnfilledNodeCloneTests
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Every node type built with its parameterless constructor clones without throwing.
+	/// </summary>
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void EveryNodeType_ClonesFromItsParameterlessConstructor()
+	{
+		IEnumerable<Type> nodeTypes = typeof(AstNode).Assembly.GetTypes()
+			.Where(t => typeof(AstNode).IsAssignableFrom(t) && !t.IsAbstract && !t.ContainsGenericParameters)
+			.Where(t => t.GetConstructor(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance, Type.EmptyTypes) is not null);
+
+		List<string> failures = [];
+		foreach (Type nodeType in nodeTypes)
+		{
+			AstNode node = (AstNode)Activator.CreateInstance(nodeType)!;
+			try
+			{
+				_ = node.Clone();
+			}
+			catch (ArgumentException ex)
+			{
+				failures.Add($"{nodeType.Name}: {ex.Message}");
+			}
+		}
+
+		Assert.IsEmpty(failures, string.Join(Environment.NewLine, failures));
+	}
+
+	/// <summary>
+	/// A variable reference with no name yet clones to another with no name.
+	/// </summary>
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void VariableReference_WithNoName_ClonesToNoName()
+	{
+		VariableReference original = new() { ExpectedType = "int" };
+
+		VariableReference clone = (VariableReference)original.Clone();
+
+		Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, clone.Name);
+		Assert.AreEqual("int", clone.ExpectedType?.ToString());
+	}
+
+	/// <summary>
+	/// A class with a property and an assignment that has no target yet still generates in the
+	/// languages that clone the class before writing it.
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <param name="languageId">The language to generate.</param>
+	[TestMethod]
+	[DataRow("c")]
+	[DataRow("cpp")]
+	[DataRow("rust")]
+	[DataRow("go")]
+	public void ClassWithAnUnfilledAssignment_Generates(string languageId)
+	{
+		ClassDeclaration box = new("Box");
+		box.Members.Add(new PropertyDeclaration("Size", "int"));
+		FunctionDeclaration reset = new("reset");
+		reset.Body.Add(new AssignmentStatement());
+		box.Members.Add(reset);
+
+		ILanguageGenerator generator = languageId switch
+		{
+			"c" => new CGenerator(),
+			"cpp" => new CppGenerator(),
+			"rust" => new RustGenerator(),
+			_ => new GoGenerator(),
+		};
+
+		string output = generator.Generate(box);
+
+		Assert.Contains("Box", output);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Coder/Ast/VariableReference.cs b/Coder/Ast/VariableReference.cs
index 0503605..38d9b8f 100644
--- a/Coder/Ast/VariableReference.cs
+++ b/Coder/Ast/VariableReference.cs
@@ -37,8 +37,11 @@ public class VariableReference : Expression
 	/// <returns>A new instance with the same property values.</returns>
 	public override AstNode Clone()
 	{
-		VariableReference clone = new(Name)
+		// The parameterless constructor and an assignment, because the validating one would refuse
+		// the empty name an unfilled node legitimately holds, and a clone must not judge what it copies.
+		VariableReference clone = new()
 		{
+			Name = Name,
 			ExpectedType = ExpectedType
 		};