diff --git a/packages/component-invite/src/routes/fragmentsInvitations/post.js b/packages/component-invite/src/routes/fragmentsInvitations/post.js
index ae1eeb0282021d4211f9048abe2fc969e5396308..b921af96de1f0df4029615d9a7922685c8c5353c 100644
--- a/packages/component-invite/src/routes/fragmentsInvitations/post.js
+++ b/packages/component-invite/src/routes/fragmentsInvitations/post.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const logger = require('@pubsweet/logger')
+
 const {
   Team,
   User,
@@ -124,8 +125,13 @@ module.exports = models => async (req, res) => {
 
     const userData = req.body
     const { firstName, lastName, isPublons } = userData
+    if (!services.checkForUndefinedParams(firstName, lastName)) {
+      return res
+        .status(400)
+        .json({ error: 'First name and last name are required.' })
+    }
 
-    if (process.env.PUBLONS_MOCK_EMAIL && isPublons) {
+    if (isPublons && process.env.PUBLONS_MOCK_EMAIL) {
       const mockEmail = process.env.PUBLONS_MOCK_EMAIL
       userData.email = mockEmail.replace('__NAME__', `${firstName}.${lastName}`)
     }
diff --git a/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js b/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js
index af451b26a93a5d81891cb85f584e108fb404ac36..4b98dbb39f55ed22db00970e3d881fae971977d8 100644
--- a/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js
+++ b/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ export default compose(
         reviewerData: values,
         fragmentId: fragment.id,
         collectionId: collection.id,
-        isPublon: true,
+        isPublons: true,
       })
         .then(() => {
           setFetching(false)