diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.js b/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.js
index 88c65ff882be..d38aec4ba698 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { validatePluginObject } from "./validation/plugins";
 import makeAPI from "./helpers/config-api";
 
 import loadPrivatePartialConfig from "./partial";
+import type { ValidatedOptions } from "./validation/options";
 
 type LoadedDescriptor = {
   value: {},
@@ -278,6 +279,42 @@ const instantiatePlugin = makeWeakCache(
   },
 );
 
+const validateIfOptionNeedsFilename = (
+  options: ValidatedOptions,
+  descriptor: UnloadedDescriptor,
+): void => {
+  if (options.test || options.include || options.exclude) {
+    const formattedPresetName = descriptor.name
+      ? `"${descriptor.name}"`
+      : "/* your preset */";
+    throw new Error(
+      [
+        `Preset ${formattedPresetName} requires a filename to be set when babel is called directly,`,
+        `\`\`\``,
+        `babel.transform(code, { filename: 'file.ts', presets: [${formattedPresetName}] });`,
+        `\`\`\``,
+        `See https://babeljs.io/docs/en/options#filename for more information.`,
+      ].join("\n"),
+    );
+  }
+};
+
+const validatePreset = (
+  preset: PresetInstance,
+  context: ConfigContext,
+  descriptor: UnloadedDescriptor,
+): void => {
+  if (!context.filename) {
+    const { options } = preset;
+    validateIfOptionNeedsFilename(options, descriptor);
+    if (options.overrides) {
+      options.overrides.forEach(overrideOptions =>
+        validateIfOptionNeedsFilename(overrideOptions, descriptor),
+      );
+    }
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * Generate a config object that will act as the root of a new nested config.
  */
@@ -285,10 +322,9 @@ const loadPresetDescriptor = (
   descriptor: UnloadedDescriptor,
   context: ConfigContext,
 ): ConfigChain | null => {
-  return buildPresetChain(
-    instantiatePreset(loadDescriptor(descriptor, context)),
-    context,
-  );
+  const preset = instantiatePreset(loadDescriptor(descriptor, context));
+  validatePreset(preset, context, descriptor);
+  return buildPresetChain(preset, context);
 };
 
 const instantiatePreset = makeWeakCache(
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js b/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js
index 849da38cfc02..32ee13867568 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/config-chain.js
@@ -1049,5 +1049,27 @@ describe("buildConfigChain", function() {
         loadOptions({ filename, cwd: path.dirname(filename) }),
       ).toThrow(/Error while parsing JSON - /);
     });
+
+    it("should throw when `test` presents but `filename` is not passed", () => {
+      expect(() => loadOptions({ test: /\.ts$/, plugins: [] })).toThrow(
+        /Configuration contains string\/RegExp pattern/,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it("should throw when `preset` requires `filename` but it was not passed", () => {
+      expect(() => {
+        loadOptions({
+          presets: [require("./fixtures/config-loading/preset4")],
+        });
+      }).toThrow(/Preset \/\* your preset \*\/ requires a filename/);
+    });
+
+    it("should throw when `preset.overrides` requires `filename` but it was not passed", () => {
+      expect(() => {
+        loadOptions({
+          presets: [require("./fixtures/config-loading/preset5")],
+        });
+      }).toThrow(/Preset \/\* your preset \*\/ requires a filename/);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/fixtures/config-loading/preset4.js b/packages/babel-core/test/fixtures/config-loading/preset4.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1698ff05edd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/fixtures/config-loading/preset4.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+module.exports = function() {
+  return {
+    test: /\.ts$/,
+    plugins: []
+  }
+};
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/fixtures/config-loading/preset5.js b/packages/babel-core/test/fixtures/config-loading/preset5.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..65ecb47f93c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/fixtures/config-loading/preset5.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+module.exports = function() {
+  return {
+    overrides: [{
+      test: /\.ts$/,
+      plugins: []
+    }]
+  }
+};