diff --git a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java
index 0e7949eb..69dcb786 100644
--- a/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java
+++ b/qqq-backend-core/src/main/java/com/kingsrook/qqq/backend/core/instances/QInstanceEnricher.java
@@ -289,7 +289,21 @@ public class QInstanceEnricher
 
       if(table.getFields() != null)
       {
-         table.getFields().values().forEach(this::enrichField);
+         for(Map.Entry<String, QFieldMetaData> entry : table.getFields().entrySet())
+         {
+            String         name  = entry.getKey();
+            QFieldMetaData field = entry.getValue();
+
+            ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+            // in case the field wasn't given a name, use its key from the fields map //
+            ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+            if(!StringUtils.hasContent(field.getName()))
+            {
+               field.setName(name);
+            }
+
+            enrichField(field);
+         }
 
          for(QSupplementalTableMetaData supplementalTableMetaData : CollectionUtils.nonNullMap(table.getSupplementalMetaData()).values())
          {