diff --git a/src/libcmd/installables.cc b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
index 08d82522a..50f904e91 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installables.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/installables.cc
@@ -116,7 +116,11 @@ MixFlakeOptions::MixFlakeOptions()
         .labels = {"input-path"},
         .handler = {[&](std::string s) {
             warn("'--update-input' is a deprecated alias for 'flake update' and will be removed in a future version.");
-            lockFlags.inputUpdates.insert(flake::parseInputAttrPath(s));
+            auto path = flake::NonEmptyInputAttrPath::parse(s);
+            if (!path)
+                throw UsageError(
+                    "--update-input was passed a zero-length input path, which would refer to the flake itself, not an input");
+            lockFlags.inputUpdates.insert(*path);
         }},
         .completer = {[&](AddCompletions & completions, size_t, std::string_view prefix) {
             completeFlakeInputAttrPath(completions, getEvalState(), getFlakeRefsForCompletion(), prefix);
diff --git a/src/libflake/flake.cc b/src/libflake/flake.cc
index f7c4a196d..7fd5e0c06 100644
--- a/src/libflake/flake.cc
+++ b/src/libflake/flake.cc
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ lockFlake(const Settings & settings, EvalState & state, const FlakeRef & topRef,
 
                     updatesUsed.insert(inputAttrPath);
 
-                    if (oldNode && !lockFlags.inputUpdates.count(inputAttrPath))
+                    if (oldNode && !lockFlags.inputUpdates.count(nonEmptyInputAttrPath))
                         if (auto oldLock2 = get(oldNode->inputs, id))
                             if (auto oldLock3 = std::get_if<0>(&*oldLock2))
                                 oldLock = *oldLock3;
@@ -636,10 +636,10 @@ lockFlake(const Settings & settings, EvalState & state, const FlakeRef & topRef,
 
                         /* If we have this input in updateInputs, then we
                            must fetch the flake to update it. */
-                        auto lb = lockFlags.inputUpdates.lower_bound(inputAttrPath);
+                        auto lb = lockFlags.inputUpdates.lower_bound(nonEmptyInputAttrPath);
 
-                        auto mustRefetch = lb != lockFlags.inputUpdates.end() && lb->size() > inputAttrPath.size()
-                                           && std::equal(inputAttrPath.begin(), inputAttrPath.end(), lb->begin());
+                        auto mustRefetch = lb != lockFlags.inputUpdates.end() && lb->get().size() > inputAttrPath.size()
+                                           && std::equal(inputAttrPath.begin(), inputAttrPath.end(), lb->get().begin());
 
                         FlakeInputs fakeInputs;
 
diff --git a/src/libflake/include/nix/flake/flake.hh b/src/libflake/include/nix/flake/flake.hh
index 3a1a09f22..3bee6556f 100644
--- a/src/libflake/include/nix/flake/flake.hh
+++ b/src/libflake/include/nix/flake/flake.hh
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ struct LockFlags
      * Flake inputs to be updated. This means that any existing lock
      * for those inputs will be ignored.
      */
-    std::set<InputAttrPath> inputUpdates;
+    std::set<NonEmptyInputAttrPath> inputUpdates;
 };
 
 LockedFlake
diff --git a/src/nix/flake.cc b/src/nix/flake.cc
index 5324e0121..688aa77e0 100644
--- a/src/nix/flake.cc
+++ b/src/nix/flake.cc
@@ -90,9 +90,12 @@ public:
             .optional = true,
             .handler = {[&](std::vector<std::string> inputsToUpdate) {
                 for (const auto & inputToUpdate : inputsToUpdate) {
-                    InputAttrPath inputAttrPath;
+                    std::optional<NonEmptyInputAttrPath> inputAttrPath;
                     try {
-                        inputAttrPath = flake::parseInputAttrPath(inputToUpdate);
+                        inputAttrPath = flake::NonEmptyInputAttrPath::parse(inputToUpdate);
+                        if (!inputAttrPath)
+                            throw UsageError(
+                                "input path to be updated cannot be zero-length; it would refer to the flake itself, not an input");
                     } catch (Error & e) {
                         warn(
                             "Invalid flake input '%s'. To update a specific flake, use 'nix flake update --flake %s' instead.",
@@ -100,11 +103,11 @@ public:
                             inputToUpdate);
                         throw e;
                     }
-                    if (lockFlags.inputUpdates.contains(inputAttrPath))
+                    if (lockFlags.inputUpdates.contains(*inputAttrPath))
                         warn(
                             "Input '%s' was specified multiple times. You may have done this by accident.",
-                            printInputAttrPath(inputAttrPath));
-                    lockFlags.inputUpdates.insert(inputAttrPath);
+                            printInputAttrPath(*inputAttrPath));
+                    lockFlags.inputUpdates.insert(*inputAttrPath);
                 }
             }},
             .completer = {[&](AddCompletions & completions, size_t, std::string_view prefix) {
diff --git a/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh b/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh
index c7f0771f9..85357bf2a 100755
--- a/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/flakes/flakes.sh
@@ -398,6 +398,9 @@ nix flake lock "$flake3Dir" --override-input flake2/flake1 flake1/master/"$hash1
 # Test that --override-input with empty input path is rejected (issue #14816).
 expectStderr 1 nix flake lock "$flake3Dir" --override-input '' . | grepQuiet "input path cannot be empty"
 
+# Test that deprecated --update-input with empty input path is rejected.
+expectStderr 1 nix flake lock "$flake3Dir" --update-input '' | grepQuiet -- "--update-input was passed a zero-length input path, which would refer to the flake itself, not an input"
+
 # Test --update-input.
 nix flake lock "$flake3Dir"
 [[ $(jq -r .nodes.flake1_2.locked.rev "$flake3Dir/flake.lock") = "$hash1" ]]
@@ -405,6 +408,9 @@ nix flake lock "$flake3Dir"
 nix flake update flake2/flake1 --flake "$flake3Dir"
 [[ $(jq -r .nodes.flake1_2.locked.rev "$flake3Dir/flake.lock") =~ $hash2 ]]
 
+# Test that 'nix flake update' with empty input path is rejected.
+expectStderr 1 nix flake update '' --flake "$flake3Dir" | grepQuiet -- "input path to be updated cannot be zero-length; it would refer to the flake itself, not an input"
+
 # Test updating multiple inputs.
 nix flake lock "$flake3Dir" --override-input flake1 flake1/master/"$hash1"
 nix flake lock "$flake3Dir" --override-input flake2/flake1 flake1/master/"$hash1"