diff --git a/hash/mz700_cass.xml b/hash/mz700_cass.xml
index 52a080336ba..8579f47992c 100644
--- a/hash/mz700_cass.xml
+++ b/hash/mz700_cass.xml
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ Easidata (English Version)
 		<publisher>Michael Gartner</publisher>
 		<info name="usage" value="Load from BASIC"/>
 		<part name="cass1" interface="mz_cass">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="10208">
 				<rom name="kalender.mzf" size="10208" crc="6fb5a68a" sha1="dbdd53674934d2fe83aa98c895e5a8e989ab1bf3" offset="0" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ Easidata (English Version)
 		<year>1982</year>
 		<publisher>Apollo Software</publisher>
 		<part name="cass1" interface="mz_cass">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="5499">
 				<rom name="apollo.mzf" size="5499" crc="46b8ae1c" sha1="916c3ccd0f1c441b0f8c268e774eea511a953dd6" offset="0" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
@@ -1352,7 +1352,7 @@ Easidata (English Version)
 		<info name="serial" value="MZ-7G059"/>
 		<info name="usage" value="Load from BASIC"/>
 		<part name="cass1" interface="mz_cass">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="15219">
 				<rom name="fighter command.mzf" size="15219" crc="91b4540f" sha1="bf3b9c484459e0d4736ab01daa01bc118210fa16" offset="0" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
diff --git a/hash/mz800_cass.xml b/hash/mz800_cass.xml
index 64f23dc34d5..f21f1148838 100644
--- a/hash/mz800_cass.xml
+++ b/hash/mz800_cass.xml
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ MZ-821 Sharp BASIC Trainer (Germany):   Account Manager: Einnahmen/Ausgaben-Verw
 		<year>19??</year>
 		<publisher>Proton Software</publisher>
 		<part name="cass" interface="mz_cass">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="48256">
 				<rom name="g.p.s. program.mzf" size="48256" crc="16bba2ba" sha1="7b4394bc88a1f0d37ddcb0951addfdca7f683b90" offset="0" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
diff --git a/hash/sorcerer_cass.xml b/hash/sorcerer_cass.xml
index d6569db411a..b6db7dd7b12 100644
--- a/hash/sorcerer_cass.xml
+++ b/hash/sorcerer_cass.xml
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 		<description>Chomp</description>
 		<year>1981</year>
 		<publisher>W. S. King</publisher>
-		<part name="cass" interface="">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+		<part name="cass" interface="sorcerer_cass">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="23392316">
 				<rom name="chomp (1981)(w.s.king).wav" size="23392316" crc="95971024" sha1="62672de80e5139af35424184c76f1c9c18493c3a" offset="0" status="baddump" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
 		<description>Eliza</description>
 		<year>19??</year>
 		<publisher>&lt;unknown&gt;</publisher>
-		<part name="cass" interface="">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+		<part name="cass" interface="sorcerer_cass">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="12578876">
 				<rom name="eliza (19xx)(-).wav" size="12578876" crc="9173759e" sha1="23d35784fd1ab492cb0371552bd1a981214c0192" offset="0" status="baddump" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 		<description>Galaxians</description>
 		<year>19??</year>
 		<publisher>&lt;unknown&gt;</publisher>
-		<part name="cass" interface="">
-			<dataarea name="cass" size="">
+		<part name="cass" interface="sorcerer_cass">
+			<dataarea name="cass" size="16506020">
 				<rom name="galaxians (19xx)(-).wav" size="16506020" crc="c6f686b2" sha1="41928aa796e6609de37301b3594d3a9a9eb975ac" offset="0" status="baddump" />
 			</dataarea>
 		</part>
diff --git a/src/emu/softlist.c b/src/emu/softlist.c
index 9c007d78b60..72beb43a4a2 100644
--- a/src/emu/softlist.c
+++ b/src/emu/softlist.c
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ static void start_handler(void *data, const char *tagname, const char **attribut
 						unknown_attribute(swlist, attributes[0]);
 				}
 
-				if ( str_name && str_interface )
+				if ( str_name && str_interface && strcmp(str_name, "") && strcmp(str_interface, "") )
 				{
 					if ( swlist->softinfo )
 					{
@@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ static void start_handler(void *data, const char *tagname, const char **attribut
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					/* Incomplete/incorrect part definition */
+					/* Incomplete/incorrect part definition ("" names are invalid too) */
 					parse_error(&swlist->state, "%s: Incomplete part definition (line %lu)\n",
 						swlist->file->filename(),XML_GetCurrentLineNumber(swlist->state.parser));
 				}
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ static void start_handler(void *data, const char *tagname, const char **attribut
 					else
 						unknown_attribute(swlist, attributes[0]);
 				}
-				if ( str_name && str_size )
+				if ( str_name && str_size && strcmp(str_name, "") && strcmp(str_size, "") )
 				{
 					if ( swlist->softinfo )
 					{
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ static void start_handler(void *data, const char *tagname, const char **attribut
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					/* Missing dataarea name or size */
+					/* Missing dataarea name or size ("" are invalid too) */
 					parse_error(&swlist->state, "%s: Incomplete dataarea definition (line %lu)\n",
 						swlist->file->filename(),XML_GetCurrentLineNumber(swlist->state.parser));
 				}