diff --git a/docs/advanced/pyproject_toml.md b/docs/advanced/pyproject_toml.md
index c55f362e0..daa345ab1 100644
--- a/docs/advanced/pyproject_toml.md
+++ b/docs/advanced/pyproject_toml.md
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ We don't advise to use the `pyproject.toml` file for anything else than python p
 When you already have a `pyproject.toml` file in your project, you can add the following section to it:
 ```toml
 [tool.pixi.project]
-name = "my_project"
 channels = ["conda-forge"]
 platforms = ["linux-64", "osx-arm64", "osx-64", "win-64"]
 ```
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ name = "my_project"
 requires-python = ">=3.9"
 
 [tool.pixi.project]
-name = "my_project"
 channels = ["conda-forge"]
 platforms = ["linux-64", "osx-arm64", "osx-64", "win-64"]
 ```
@@ -59,7 +57,6 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [tool.pixi.project]
-name = "my_project"
 channels = ["conda-forge"]
 platforms = ["linux-64", "osx-arm64", "osx-64", "win-64"]
 ```
@@ -92,7 +89,6 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [tool.pixi.project]
-name = "my_project"
 channels = ["conda-forge"]
 platforms = ["linux-64", "osx-arm64", "osx-64", "win-64"]
 
@@ -118,7 +114,6 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [tool.pixi.project]
-name = "my_project"
 channels = ["conda-forge"]
 platforms = ["linux-64", "osx-arm64", "osx-64", "win-64"]
 
diff --git a/src/cli/init.rs b/src/cli/init.rs
index 88089297a..bf7f99bfa 100644
--- a/src/cli/init.rs
+++ b/src/cli/init.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ platforms = ["{{ platforms|join("\", \"") }}"]
 /// The pyproject.toml template
 const PYROJECT_TEMPLATE: &str = r#"
 [tool.pixi.project]
-name = "{{ name }}"
 channels = [{%- if channels %}"{{ channels|join("\", \"") }}"{%- endif %}]
 platforms = ["{{ platforms|join("\", \"") }}"]
 
diff --git a/src/project/manifest/error.rs b/src/project/manifest/error.rs
index 02f391871..5f9131ee2 100644
--- a/src/project/manifest/error.rs
+++ b/src/project/manifest/error.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::project::manifest::{FeatureName, TargetSelector};
 use crate::project::SpecType;
-use miette::Diagnostic;
+use miette::{Diagnostic, IntoDiagnostic, LabeledSpan, NamedSource, Report};
 use rattler_conda_types::{InvalidPackageNameError, ParseMatchSpecError};
 use thiserror::Error;
 
@@ -71,3 +71,48 @@ pub enum RequirementConversionError {
     #[error("Error converting requirement from pypi to conda")]
     Unimplemented,
 }
+
+#[derive(Error, Debug, Clone)]
+pub enum TomlError {
+    #[error("failed to parse project manifest")]
+    Error(#[from] toml_edit::TomlError),
+    #[error("'pyproject.toml' should contain a [project] table")]
+    NoProjectTable(std::ops::Range<usize>),
+    #[error("The [project] table should contain a 'name'")]
+    NoProjectName(Option<std::ops::Range<usize>>),
+}
+
+impl TomlError {
+    pub fn to_fancy<T>(self, file_name: &str, contents: impl Into<String>) -> Result<T, Report> {
+        if let Some(span) = self.clone().span() {
+            return Err(miette::miette!(
+                labels = vec![LabeledSpan::at(span, self.message())],
+                "failed to parse project manifest"
+            )
+            .with_source_code(NamedSource::new(file_name, contents.into())));
+        } else {
+            return Err(self).into_diagnostic();
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn span(self) -> Option<std::ops::Range<usize>> {
+        match self {
+            TomlError::Error(e) => e.span(),
+            TomlError::NoProjectTable(span) => Some(span),
+            TomlError::NoProjectName(span) => span,
+        }
+    }
+    fn message(&self) -> &str {
+        match self {
+            TomlError::Error(e) => e.message(),
+            TomlError::NoProjectTable(_) => "Missing field `project`",
+            TomlError::NoProjectName(_) => "Missing field `name`",
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<toml_edit::de::Error> for TomlError {
+    fn from(e: toml_edit::de::Error) -> Self {
+        toml_edit::TomlError::from(e).into()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/project/manifest/metadata.rs b/src/project/manifest/metadata.rs
index f6fc55b43..18010279e 100644
--- a/src/project/manifest/metadata.rs
+++ b/src/project/manifest/metadata.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use url::Url;
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields, rename_all = "kebab-case")]
 pub struct ProjectMetadata {
     /// The name of the project
-    pub name: String,
+    pub name: Option<String>,
 
     /// The version of the project
     #[serde_as(as = "Option<DisplayFromStr>")]
diff --git a/src/project/manifest/mod.rs b/src/project/manifest/mod.rs
index b396735cd..b08e8dbf3 100644
--- a/src/project/manifest/mod.rs
+++ b/src/project/manifest/mod.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use indexmap::map::Entry;
 use indexmap::{Equivalent, IndexMap, IndexSet};
 use itertools::Itertools;
 pub use metadata::ProjectMetadata;
-use miette::{miette, Diagnostic, IntoDiagnostic, LabeledSpan, NamedSource, WrapErr};
+use miette::{miette, Diagnostic, IntoDiagnostic, NamedSource, WrapErr};
 use pyproject::PyProjectManifest;
 pub use python::PyPiRequirement;
 use rattler_conda_types::{
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ use std::{
 pub use system_requirements::{LibCSystemRequirement, SystemRequirements};
 pub use target::{Target, TargetSelector, Targets};
 use thiserror::Error;
-use toml_edit::{DocumentMut, TomlError};
+use toml_edit::DocumentMut;
+
+use self::error::TomlError;
 
 /// Errors that can occur when getting a feature.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Error, Diagnostic)]
@@ -127,21 +129,14 @@ impl Manifest {
             ),
         };
 
-        let (manifest, document) = match parsed
-            .and_then(|manifest| contents.parse::<DocumentMut>().map(|doc| (manifest, doc)))
-        {
+        let (manifest, document) = match parsed.and_then(|manifest| {
+            contents
+                .parse::<DocumentMut>()
+                .map(|doc| (manifest, doc))
+                .map_err(TomlError::from)
+        }) {
             Ok(result) => result,
-            Err(e) => {
-                if let Some(span) = e.span() {
-                    return Err(miette::miette!(
-                        labels = vec![LabeledSpan::at(span, e.message())],
-                        "failed to parse project manifest"
-                    )
-                    .with_source_code(NamedSource::new(file_name, contents)));
-                } else {
-                    return Err(e).into_diagnostic();
-                }
-            }
+            Err(e) => e.to_fancy(file_name, &contents)?,
         };
 
         // Validate the contents of the manifest
@@ -777,7 +772,15 @@ pub struct ProjectManifest {
 impl ProjectManifest {
     /// Parses a toml string into a project manifest.
     pub fn from_toml_str(source: &str) -> Result<Self, TomlError> {
-        toml_edit::de::from_str(source).map_err(TomlError::from)
+        let manifest: ProjectManifest = toml_edit::de::from_str(source).map_err(TomlError::from)?;
+
+        // project is not optional in pixi.toml, but name is
+        if manifest.project.name.is_none() {
+            let span = source.parse::<DocumentMut>().map_err(TomlError::from)?["project"].span();
+            return Err(TomlError::NoProjectName(span));
+        }
+
+        Ok(manifest)
     }
 
     /// Returns the default feature.
@@ -1118,7 +1121,7 @@ mod tests {
         // From PathBuf
         let manifest = Manifest::from_path(path).unwrap();
 
-        assert_eq!(manifest.parsed.project.name, "foo");
+        assert_eq!(manifest.parsed.project.name.unwrap(), "foo");
         assert_eq!(
             manifest.parsed.project.version,
             Some(Version::from_str("0.1.0").unwrap())
diff --git a/src/project/manifest/pyproject.rs b/src/project/manifest/pyproject.rs
index a6bedc9d6..073aa4d3c 100644
--- a/src/project/manifest/pyproject.rs
+++ b/src/project/manifest/pyproject.rs
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ use rattler_conda_types::{NamelessMatchSpec, PackageName, ParseStrictness::Lenie
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use toml_edit;
-use toml_edit::TomlError;
 
 use super::{
-    error::RequirementConversionError, python::PyPiPackageName, ProjectManifest, PyPiRequirement,
-    SpecType,
+    error::{RequirementConversionError, TomlError},
+    python::PyPiPackageName,
+    ProjectManifest, PyPiRequirement, SpecType,
 };
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, Debug, Clone)]
@@ -33,7 +33,16 @@ impl std::ops::Deref for PyProjectManifest {
 impl PyProjectManifest {
     /// Parses a toml string into a pyproject manifest.
     pub fn from_toml_str(source: &str) -> Result<Self, TomlError> {
-        toml_edit::de::from_str(source).map_err(TomlError::from)
+        let manifest: PyProjectManifest =
+            toml_edit::de::from_str(source).map_err(TomlError::from)?;
+
+        // project is optional in pyproject.toml, but name is not
+        // TODO: do we want to Err if tool.pixi.name is defined?
+        if manifest.project.is_none() {
+            return Err(TomlError::NoProjectTable(0..1));
+        }
+
+        Ok(manifest)
     }
 }
 
@@ -42,8 +51,9 @@ impl From<PyProjectManifest> for ProjectManifest {
         // Start by loading the data nested under "tool.pixi"
         let mut manifest = item.tool.pixi.clone();
 
-        // TODO: tool.pixi.project.name should be made optional or read from project.name
+        // Get tool.pixi.project.name from project.name
         // TODO: could copy across / convert some other optional fields if relevant
+        manifest.project.name = item.project.as_ref().map(|p| p.name.clone());
 
         // Add python as dependency based on the project.requires_python property (if any)
         let pythonspec = item
diff --git a/src/project/mod.rs b/src/project/mod.rs
index ae454a417..17ec28ecd 100644
--- a/src/project/mod.rs
+++ b/src/project/mod.rs
@@ -220,7 +220,13 @@ impl Project {
 
     /// Returns the name of the project
     pub fn name(&self) -> &str {
-        &self.manifest.parsed.project.name
+        &self
+            .manifest
+            .parsed
+            .project
+            .name
+            .as_ref()
+            .expect("name should always be defined.")
     }
 
     /// Returns the version of the project