diff --git a/R/teal_data-class.R b/R/teal_data-class.R
index 0fc0dd487..1a3efbee0 100644
--- a/R/teal_data-class.R
+++ b/R/teal_data-class.R
@@ -44,14 +44,17 @@ setClass(
 #' @param data (`named list`) List of data.
 #' @param code (`character` or `language`) code to reproduce the `data`.
 #'   Accepts and stores comments also.
-#' @param keys (`JoinKeys`) object
+#' @param join_keys (`JoinKeys`) object
 #' @param datanames (`character`) names of datasets passed to `data`.
 #'   Needed when non-dataset objects are needed in the `env` slot.
 #' @rdname new_teal_data
 #' @keywords internal
-new_teal_data <- function(data, code = character(0), keys = join_keys(), datanames = names(data)) {
+new_teal_data <- function(data,
+                          code = character(0),
+                          join_keys = join_keys(),
+                          datanames = union(names(data), names(join_keys$get()))) {
   checkmate::assert_list(data)
-  checkmate::assert_class(keys, "JoinKeys")
+  checkmate::assert_class(join_keys, "JoinKeys")
   checkmate::assert_character(datanames)
   if (!any(is.language(code), is.character(code))) {
     stop("`code` must be a character or language object.")
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ new_teal_data <- function(data, code = character(0), keys = join_keys(), datanam
     warnings = "",
     messages = "",
     id = sample.int(.Machine$integer.max, size = 1L),
-    join_keys = keys,
+    join_keys = join_keys,
     datanames = datanames
   )
 }
diff --git a/R/teal_data.R b/R/teal_data.R
index 3bfbd9137..594f435e0 100644
--- a/R/teal_data.R
+++ b/R/teal_data.R
@@ -40,7 +40,11 @@ teal_data <- function(...,
     join_keys <- teal.data::join_keys(join_keys)
   }
   if (
-    checkmate::test_list(data_objects, types = c("TealDataConnector", "TealDataset", "TealDatasetConnector"))
+    checkmate::test_list(
+      data_objects,
+      types = c("TealDataConnector", "TealDataset", "TealDatasetConnector"),
+      min.len = 1
+    )
   ) {
     lifecycle::deprecate_warn(
       when = "0.3.1",
@@ -59,13 +63,13 @@ teal_data <- function(...,
     x$check_metadata()
     x
   } else {
-    if (!checkmate::test_names(names(data_objects), type = "named")) {
+    if (length(data_objects) > 0 && !checkmate::test_names(names(data_objects), type = "named")) {
       stop("Dot (`...`) arguments on `teal_data()` must be named.")
     }
     new_teal_data(
       data = data_objects,
       code = code,
-      keys = join_keys
+      join_keys = join_keys
     )
   }
 }
diff --git a/man/new_teal_data.Rd b/man/new_teal_data.Rd
index 47ec8027f..1191cebc5 100644
--- a/man/new_teal_data.Rd
+++ b/man/new_teal_data.Rd
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 new_teal_data(
   data,
   code = character(0),
-  keys = join_keys(),
-  datanames = names(data)
+  join_keys = join_keys(),
+  datanames = union(names(data), names(join_keys$get()))
 )
 }
 \arguments{
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ new_teal_data(
 \item{code}{(\code{character} or \code{language}) code to reproduce the \code{data}.
 Accepts and stores comments also.}
 
-\item{keys}{(\code{JoinKeys}) object}
+\item{join_keys}{(\code{JoinKeys}) object}
 
 \item{datanames}{(\code{character}) names of datasets passed to \code{data}.
 Needed when non-dataset objects are needed in the \code{env} slot.}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/helper-get_join_keys.R b/tests/testthat/helper-get_join_keys.R
index 8b55e5091..34bca8a9e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/helper-get_join_keys.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/helper-get_join_keys.R
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ helper_generator_teal_data <- function() {
       ds2 = iris2
     ),
     code = "ds1 <- iris2; ds2 <- iris2",
-    keys = helper_generator_JoinKeys("ds1", keys = c("id"))
+    join_keys = helper_generator_JoinKeys("ds1", keys = c("id"))
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-TealDatasetConnector.R b/tests/testthat/test-TealDatasetConnector.R
index c26744e02..cc66f6e92 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-TealDatasetConnector.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-TealDatasetConnector.R
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ testthat::test_that("code_dataset_connector - library calls", {
     label = "ADRS dataset"
   )
 
-  data <- cdisc_data(adsl, adtte, adrs, check = TRUE)
+  expect_warning(data <- cdisc_data(adsl, adtte, adrs, check = TRUE), "deprecated")
   expect_silent(
     lapply(
       data$get_items(),