diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/find.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/find.py
index 0728f3f1b2..6697e52de2 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/find.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/find.py
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ def gray_hash(spec, length):
 def display_specs(specs, **kwargs):
     mode = kwargs.get('mode', 'short')
     hashes = kwargs.get('long', False)
-    print hashes
 
     hlen = 7
     if kwargs.get('very_long', False):
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ def find(parser, args):
     # Filter out specs that don't exist.
     query_specs = spack.cmd.parse_specs(args.query_specs)
     query_specs, nonexisting = partition_list(
-        query_specs, lambda s: spack.db.exists(s.name))
+        query_specs, lambda s: spack.db.exists(s.name) or s.name == "")
 
     if nonexisting:
         msg = "No such package%s: " % ('s' if len(nonexisting) > 1 else '')
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/packages.py b/lib/spack/spack/packages.py
index 80b91f4ef1..2e90e22c29 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/packages.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/packages.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def all_packages(self):
     def exists(self, pkg_name):
         """Whether a package with the supplied name exists ."""
         if pkg_name == "":
-            return True
+            return False
         return os.path.exists(self.filename_for_package_name(pkg_name))
 
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
index 6335567e66..5aac669871 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
@@ -1175,6 +1175,9 @@ def normalize(self, force=False):
            TODO: normalize should probably implement some form of cycle detection,
            to ensure that the spec is actually a DAG.
         """
+        if self.name == "":
+            raise SpecError("Attempting to normalize anonymous spec")
+
         if self._normal and not force:
             return False
 
@@ -1217,8 +1220,8 @@ def validate_names(self):
            UnsupportedCompilerError.
         """
         for spec in self.traverse():
-            # Don't get a package for a virtual name.
-            if not spec.virtual:
+            # Don't get a package for a virtual name or an anonymous name
+            if (not spec.virtual) and spack.db.exists(spec.name):
                 spack.db.get(spec.name)
 
             # validate compiler in addition to the package name.
@@ -1897,6 +1900,9 @@ def empty_spec(self):
         spec.dependents   = DependencyMap()
         spec.dependencies = DependencyMap()
 
+        spec._normal = False
+        spec._concrete = False
+
         #Should we be able to add cflags eventually?
         while self.next:
             if self.accept(ON):