diff --git a/resources/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.psm1 b/resources/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.psm1
index 64f7b4bc..4a96b135 100644
--- a/resources/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.psm1
+++ b/resources/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.psm1
@@ -343,6 +343,14 @@ class NpmPackage {
         $inDesiredState = $this.Test()
         if ($this.Ensure -eq [Ensure]::Present) {
             if (-not $inDesiredState) {
+                # TODO: Handling owner/repo package references pointing to GH repositories requires accounting
+                #       for git errors (missing git, failed authentication, etc.).
+                #
+                # See: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v11/commands/npm-install#description
+                if (($this.Name -notmatch '^git(?:\+(?:ssh|https?|file))?://') -and $this.Name.Contains('/') -and -not $this.Name.StartsWith('@')) {
+                    throw "The Set operation currently only supports packages specified as [<@scope>/]<name>. The given package looks like a GitHub repository: $($this.Name)."
+                }
+
                 Install-NpmPackage -PackageName $this.Name -Arguments $this.Arguments -Global $this.Global
             }
         } else {
diff --git a/tests/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.tests.ps1 b/tests/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.tests.ps1
index 3162aeee..d6c88c98 100644
--- a/tests/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.tests.ps1
+++ b/tests/NpmDsc/NpmDsc.tests.ps1
@@ -85,6 +85,47 @@ Describe 'NpmPackage' {
         $finalState.InDesiredState | Should -Be $true
     }
 
+    Context 'Package names' {
+        BeforeEach {
+            npm uninstall babel/helpers 2>$null | Out-Null || $(throw 'npm uninstall failed')
+            npm uninstall --global babel/helpers 2>$null | Out-Null || $(throw 'npm uninstall failed')
+        }
+
+        Context 'Present' {
+            It 'Unsupported if package name points to VCS repository (scope/name)' -Skip:(!$IsWindows) -ForEach @(
+                @{ isGlobal = $false }
+                @{ isGlobal = $true }
+            ) {
+                $desiredState = @{
+                    Name   = 'babel/helpers'
+                    Global = $isGlobal
+                    Ensure = 'Present'
+                }
+
+                $message = 'The Set operation currently only supports packages specified as `[<@scope>/`]<name>. The given package looks like a GitHub repository: babel/helpers.'
+
+                { Invoke-DscResource -Name NpmPackage -ModuleName NpmDsc -Method Set -Property $desiredState } | Should -Throw $message
+            }
+        }
+
+        Context 'Absent' {
+            It 'Supports any package name' -Skip:(!$IsWindows) -ForEach @(
+                @{ isGlobal = $false }
+                @{ isGlobal = $true }
+            ) {
+                $desiredState = @{
+                    Name   = 'babel/helpers'
+                    Global = $isGlobal
+                    Ensure = 'Absent'
+                }
+
+                Invoke-DscResource -Name NpmPackage -ModuleName NpmDsc -Method Set -Property $desiredState
+                $desiredState = Invoke-DscResource -Name NpmPackage -ModuleName NpmDsc -Method Test -Property $desiredState
+                $desiredState.InDesiredState | Should -Be $true
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     It 'Performs whatif operation successfully' -Skip:(!$IsWindows) {
         $whatIfState = @{
             Name   = 'react'