diff --git a/src/types/validate.go b/src/types/validate.go
index e045e69520..05289a1781 100644
--- a/src/types/validate.go
+++ b/src/types/validate.go
@@ -9,14 +9,18 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/defenseunicorns/pkg/helpers/v2"
 	"github.com/zarf-dev/zarf/src/config/lang"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation"
 )
 
 const (
 	// ZarfMaxChartNameLength limits helm chart name size to account for K8s/helm limits and zarf prefix
-	ZarfMaxChartNameLength = 40
+	ZarfMaxChartNameLength     = 40
+	errChartReleaseNameEmpty   = "release name empty, unable to fallback to chart name"
+	errChartReleaseNameInvalid = "invalid release name %s: a DNS-1035 label must consist of lower case alphanumeric characters or -, start with an alphabetic character, and end with an alphanumeric character"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -252,6 +256,29 @@ func (action ZarfComponentAction) Validate() error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// validateReleaseName validates a release name against DNS 1035 spec, using chartName as fallback.
+// https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/names/#rfc-1035-label-names
+func validateReleaseName(chartName, releaseName string) (err error) {
+	// Fallback to chartName if releaseName is empty
+	// NOTE: Similar fallback mechanism happens in src/internal/packager/helm/chart.go:InstallOrUpgradeChart
+	if releaseName == "" {
+		releaseName = chartName
+	}
+
+	// Check if the final releaseName is empty and return an error if so
+	if releaseName == "" {
+		err = fmt.Errorf(errChartReleaseNameEmpty)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Validate the releaseName against DNS 1035 label spec
+	if errs := validation.IsDNS1035Label(releaseName); len(errs) > 0 {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("invalid release name '%s': %s", releaseName, strings.Join(errs, "; "))
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
 // Validate runs all validation checks on a chart.
 func (chart ZarfChart) Validate() error {
 	var err error
@@ -277,6 +304,10 @@ func (chart ZarfChart) Validate() error {
 		err = errors.Join(err, fmt.Errorf(lang.PkgValidateErrChartVersion, chart.Name))
 	}
 
+	if nameErr := validateReleaseName(chart.Name, chart.ReleaseName); nameErr != nil {
+		err = errors.Join(err, nameErr)
+	}
+
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/src/types/validate_test.go b/src/types/validate_test.go
index b0ebc60e8f..28895a8df8 100644
--- a/src/types/validate_test.go
+++ b/src/types/validate_test.go
@@ -186,17 +186,82 @@ func TestValidateManifest(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestValidateReleaseName(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name           string
+		chartName      string
+		releaseName    string
+		expectError    bool
+		errorSubstring string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "valid releaseName with hyphens",
+			chartName:   "chart",
+			releaseName: "valid-release-hyphenated",
+			expectError: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "valid releaseName with numbers",
+			chartName:   "chart",
+			releaseName: "valid-0470",
+			expectError: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "invalid releaseName with periods",
+			chartName:      "chart",
+			releaseName:    "namedwithperiods-a.b.c",
+			expectError:    true,
+			errorSubstring: "invalid release name 'namedwithperiods-a.b.c'",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "empty releaseName, valid chartName",
+			chartName:   "valid-chart",
+			releaseName: "",
+			expectError: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "empty releaseName and chartName",
+			chartName:      "",
+			releaseName:    "",
+			expectError:    true,
+			errorSubstring: errChartReleaseNameEmpty,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "empty releaseName, invalid chartName",
+			chartName:      "invalid_chart!",
+			releaseName:    "",
+			expectError:    true,
+			errorSubstring: "invalid release name 'invalid_chart!'",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			err := validateReleaseName(tt.chartName, tt.releaseName)
+			if tt.expectError {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				require.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.errorSubstring)
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestValidateChart(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	longName := strings.Repeat("a", ZarfMaxChartNameLength+1)
 	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
 		chart        ZarfChart
 		expectedErrs []string
-		name         string
+		partialMatch bool
 	}{
 		{
 			name:         "valid",
-			chart:        ZarfChart{Name: "chart1", Namespace: "whatever", URL: "http://whatever", Version: "v1.0.0"},
+			chart:        ZarfChart{Name: "chart1", Namespace: "whatever", URL: "http://whatever", Version: "v1.0.0", ReleaseName: "this-is-valid"},
 			expectedErrs: nil,
 		},
 		{
@@ -222,6 +287,22 @@ func TestValidateChart(t *testing.T) {
 				fmt.Sprintf(lang.PkgValidateErrChartURLOrPath, "invalid"),
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name:         "invalid releaseName",
+			chart:        ZarfChart{ReleaseName: "namedwithperiods-0.47.0", Name: "releaseName", Namespace: "whatever", URL: "http://whatever", Version: "v1.0.0"},
+			expectedErrs: []string{"invalid release name 'namedwithperiods-0.47.0'"},
+			partialMatch: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "missing releaseName fallsback to name",
+			chart:        ZarfChart{Name: "chart3", Namespace: "namespace", URL: "http://whatever", Version: "v1.0.0"},
+			expectedErrs: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "missing name and releaseName",
+			chart:        ZarfChart{Namespace: "namespace", URL: "http://whatever", Version: "v1.0.0"},
+			expectedErrs: []string{errChartReleaseNameEmpty},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		tt := tt
@@ -232,8 +313,16 @@ func TestValidateChart(t *testing.T) {
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 				return
 			}
-			errs := strings.Split(err.Error(), "\n")
-			require.ElementsMatch(t, tt.expectedErrs, errs)
+			require.Error(t, err)
+			errString := err.Error()
+			if tt.partialMatch {
+				for _, expectedErr := range tt.expectedErrs {
+					require.Contains(t, errString, expectedErr)
+				}
+			} else {
+				errs := strings.Split(errString, "\n")
+				require.ElementsMatch(t, tt.expectedErrs, errs)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }