diff --git a/lib/datalog/db.sx b/lib/datalog/db.sx
index 798fcfa7..d8e4f153 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/db.sx
+++ b/lib/datalog/db.sx
@@ -318,6 +318,15 @@
         (error (str "dl-add-rule!: expected rule dict, got " rule)))
       ((not (has-key? rule :head))
         (error (str "dl-add-rule!: rule missing :head, got " rule)))
+      ((not (and (list? (get rule :head))
+                 (> (len (get rule :head)) 0)
+                 (symbol? (first (get rule :head)))))
+        (error (str "dl-add-rule!: head must be a non-empty list "
+                    "starting with a relation-name symbol, got "
+                    (get rule :head))))
+      ((not (list? (if (has-key? rule :body) (get rule :body) (list))))
+        (error (str "dl-add-rule!: body must be a list of literals, got "
+                    (get rule :body))))
       ((dl-reserved-rel? (dl-rel-name (get rule :head)))
         (error (str "dl-add-rule!: '" (dl-rel-name (get rule :head))
                     "' is a reserved name (built-in / aggregate / negation)")))
diff --git a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json
index f36dbeba..72c71703 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json
+++ b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.json
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 {
   "lang": "datalog",
-  "total_passed": 251,
+  "total_passed": 253,
   "total_failed": 0,
-  "total": 251,
+  "total": 253,
   "suites": [
     {"name":"tokenize","passed":29,"failed":0,"total":29},
     {"name":"parse","passed":22,"failed":0,"total":22},
     {"name":"unify","passed":28,"failed":0,"total":28},
-    {"name":"eval","passed":36,"failed":0,"total":36},
+    {"name":"eval","passed":38,"failed":0,"total":38},
     {"name":"builtins","passed":23,"failed":0,"total":23},
     {"name":"semi_naive","passed":8,"failed":0,"total":8},
     {"name":"negation","passed":10,"failed":0,"total":10},
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@
     {"name":"magic","passed":34,"failed":0,"total":34},
     {"name":"demo","passed":21,"failed":0,"total":21}
   ],
-  "generated": "2026-05-10T21:05:12+00:00"
+  "generated": "2026-05-10T21:09:18+00:00"
 }
diff --git a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md
index b7adc8c8..391f5d79 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md
+++ b/lib/datalog/scoreboard.md
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 # datalog scoreboard
 
-**251 / 251 passing** (0 failure(s)).
+**253 / 253 passing** (0 failure(s)).
 
 | Suite | Passed | Total | Status |
 |-------|--------|-------|--------|
 | tokenize | 29 | 29 | ok |
 | parse | 22 | 22 | ok |
 | unify | 28 | 28 | ok |
-| eval | 36 | 36 | ok |
+| eval | 38 | 38 | ok |
 | builtins | 23 | 23 | ok |
 | semi_naive | 8 | 8 | ok |
 | negation | 10 | 10 | ok |
diff --git a/lib/datalog/tests/eval.sx b/lib/datalog/tests/eval.sx
index 75541282..e1835a0c 100644
--- a/lib/datalog/tests/eval.sx
+++ b/lib/datalog/tests/eval.sx
@@ -165,6 +165,22 @@
           ((db (dl-program "edge(1, 2). edge(2, 3). edge(3, 1).\n                  reach(X, Y) :- edge(X, Y).\n                  reach(X, Z) :- edge(X, Y), reach(Y, Z).")))
           (do (dl-saturate! db) (len (dl-relation db "reach"))))
         9)
+      ;; Rule-shape sanity: empty-list head and non-list body raise
+      ;; clear errors rather than crashing inside the saturator.
+      (dl-et-test! "empty head rejected"
+        (dl-et-throws?
+          (fn ()
+            (dl-add-rule! (dl-make-db)
+              {:head (list) :body (list)})))
+        true)
+
+      (dl-et-test! "non-list body rejected"
+        (dl-et-throws?
+          (fn ()
+            (dl-add-rule! (dl-make-db)
+              {:head (list (quote p) (quote X)) :body 42})))
+        true)
+
       ;; Reserved relation names rejected as rule/fact heads.
       (dl-et-test!
         "reserved name `not` as head rejected"