diff --git a/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts b/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts
index 1bfcbf8..c7639e1 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import {privateAPI, setPrivateAPI} from '@theatre/core/privateAPIs'
 import Project from '@theatre/core/projects/Project'
 import type {ISheet} from '@theatre/core/sheets/TheatreSheet'
 import type {ProjectAddress} from '@theatre/shared/utils/addresses'
-import {validateName} from '@theatre/shared/utils/sanitizers'
+import {validateInstanceId} from '@theatre/shared/utils/sanitizers'
 import {validateAndSanitiseSlashedPathOrThrow} from '@theatre/shared/utils/slashedPaths'
 import type {$IntentionalAny} from '@theatre/shared/utils/types'
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export default class TheatreProject implements IProject {
     )
 
     if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
-      validateName(
+      validateInstanceId(
         instanceId,
         'instanceId in project.sheet(sheetId, instanceId)',
         true,
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/utils/sanitizers.ts b/theatre/shared/src/utils/sanitizers.ts
index 02eaff8..d4d3399 100644
--- a/theatre/shared/src/utils/sanitizers.ts
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/utils/sanitizers.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 import userReadableTypeOfValue from '@theatre/shared/utils/userReadableTypeOfValue'
 import {InvalidArgumentError} from '@theatre/shared/utils/errors'
 
-const _validateName = (name: string, thingy: string): void | string => {
-  if (typeof name !== 'string') {
-    return `${thingy} must be a string. ${userReadableTypeOfValue(name)} given.`
-  } else if (name.trim().length !== name.length) {
-    return `${thingy} must not have leading or trailing spaces. '${name}' given.`
-  } else if (name.length < 3 || name.length > 32) {
-    return `${thingy} must have between 3 and 32 characters. '${name}' given.`
+const _validateSym = (
+  val: string,
+  thingy: string,
+  range: [min: number, max: number],
+): void | string => {
+  if (typeof val !== 'string') {
+    return `${thingy} must be a string. ${userReadableTypeOfValue(val)} given.`
+  } else if (val.trim().length !== val.length) {
+    return `${thingy} must not have leading or trailing spaces. '${val}' given.`
+  } else if (val.length < range[0] || val.length > range[1]) {
+    return `${thingy} must have between ${range[0]} and ${range[1]} characters. '${val}' given.`
   }
 }
 
@@ -16,7 +20,20 @@ export const validateName = (
   thingy: string,
   shouldThrow: boolean = false,
 ) => {
-  const result = _validateName(name, thingy)
+  const result = _validateSym(name, thingy, [3, 32])
+  if (typeof result === 'string' && shouldThrow) {
+    throw new InvalidArgumentError(result)
+  } else {
+    return result
+  }
+}
+
+export const validateInstanceId = (
+  name: string,
+  thingy: string,
+  shouldThrow: boolean = false,
+) => {
+  const result = _validateSym(name, thingy, [1, 32])
   if (typeof result === 'string' && shouldThrow) {
     throw new InvalidArgumentError(result)
   } else {