diff --git a/graphql/keyspace_schema.go b/graphql/keyspace_schema.go
index c75901b..9ddadbe 100644
--- a/graphql/keyspace_schema.go
+++ b/graphql/keyspace_schema.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package graphql
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/gocql/gocql"
 	"github.com/graphql-go/graphql"
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@ var serialConsistencyEnum = graphql.NewEnum(graphql.EnumConfig{
 	},
 })
 
+var validName = regexp.MustCompile(`^[_a-zA-Z][_a-zA-Z0-9]*$`)
+
 func (s *KeyspaceGraphQLSchema) buildType(typeInfo gocql.TypeInfo, isInput bool) (graphql.Output, error) {
 	switch typeInfo.Type() {
 	case gocql.TypeInt, gocql.TypeTinyInt, gocql.TypeSmallInt:
@@ -279,6 +282,10 @@ func (s *KeyspaceGraphQLSchema) buildTableTypes(keyspace *gocql.KeyspaceMetadata
 		for name, column := range table.Columns {
 			var fieldType graphql.Output
 			var inputFieldType graphql.Output
+			if !validName.MatchString(table.Name) || !validName.MatchString(name) {
+				err = fmt.Errorf("table or column %s didn't match regex %s", name, validName.String())
+				break
+			}
 			fieldName := s.naming.ToGraphQLField(table.Name, name)
 			fieldType, err = s.buildType(column.Type, false)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -309,6 +316,10 @@ func (s *KeyspaceGraphQLSchema) buildTableTypes(keyspace *gocql.KeyspaceMetadata
 			}
 		}
 
+		if err == nil && (len(inputOperatorFields) == 0 || len(inputFields) == 0 || len(fields) == 0) {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("value, scalar, or input array empty - perhaps a table with one unfilterable column?")
+		}
+
 		if err != nil {
 			s.schemaGen.logger.Info("ignoring table",
 				"tableName", table.Name,