diff --git a/bec_widgets/applications/launch_window.py b/bec_widgets/applications/launch_window.py
index d3597ac7..e87ddf46 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/applications/launch_window.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/applications/launch_window.py
@@ -235,10 +235,8 @@ class LaunchWindow(BECMainWindow):
                     raise ValueError(
                         f"Name {name} must be unique for dock areas, but already exists: {existing_dock_areas}."
                     )
-                if not WidgetContainerUtils.has_name_valid_chars(name):
-                    raise ValueError(
-                        f"Name {name} contains invalid characters. Only alphanumeric characters, underscores, and dashes are allowed."
-                    )
+                WidgetContainerUtils.raise_for_invalid_name(name)
+
             else:
                 name = "dock_area"
                 name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_name(name, existing_dock_areas)
@@ -284,6 +282,8 @@ class LaunchWindow(BECMainWindow):
             raise ValueError("UI file must be provided for custom UI file launch.")
         filename = os.path.basename(ui_file).split(".")[0]
 
+        WidgetContainerUtils.raise_for_invalid_name(filename)
+
         tree = ET.parse(ui_file)
         root = tree.getroot()
         # Check if the top-level widget is a QMainWindow
diff --git a/bec_widgets/utils/container_utils.py b/bec_widgets/utils/container_utils.py
index f2c2f950..c8932f0e 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/utils/container_utils.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/utils/container_utils.py
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import itertools
-from typing import Literal, Type
+from typing import Any, Type
 
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QWidget
 
-from bec_widgets.cli.rpc.rpc_register import RPCRegister
+from bec_widgets.cli.client_utils import BECGuiClient
 
 
 class WidgetContainerUtils:
@@ -73,3 +72,36 @@ class WidgetContainerUtils:
             return None
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"No widget of class {widget_class} found.")
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def name_is_protected(name: str, container: Any = None) -> bool:
+        """
+        Check if the name is not protected.
+
+        Args:
+            name(str): The name to be checked.
+
+        Returns:
+            bool: True if the name is not protected, False otherwise.
+        """
+        if container is None:
+            container = BECGuiClient
+        gui_client_methods = set(filter(lambda x: not x.startswith("_"), dir(container)))
+        return name in gui_client_methods
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def raise_for_invalid_name(name: str, container: Any = None) -> None:
+        """
+        Check if the name is valid. If not, raise a ValueError.
+
+        Args:
+            name(str): The name to be checked.
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If the name is not valid.
+        """
+        if not WidgetContainerUtils.has_name_valid_chars(name):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Name '{name}' contains invalid characters. Only alphanumeric characters, underscores, and dashes are allowed."
+            )
+        if WidgetContainerUtils.name_is_protected(name, container):
+            raise ValueError(f"Name '{name}' is protected. Please choose another name.")
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock.py
index ed0271d3..20318dfb 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock.py
@@ -303,11 +303,7 @@ class BECDock(BECWidget, Dock):
             shift(Literal["down", "up", "left", "right"]): The direction to shift the widgets if the position is occupied.
         """
         if name is not None:
-            if not WidgetContainerUtils.has_name_valid_chars(name):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Name {name} contains invalid characters. "
-                    f"Only alphanumeric characters and underscores are allowed."
-                )
+            WidgetContainerUtils.raise_for_invalid_name(name, container=self)
 
         if row is None:
             row = self.layout.rowCount()
diff --git a/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area.py b/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area.py
index e8d06e19..ac9df021 100644
--- a/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area.py
+++ b/bec_widgets/widgets/containers/dock/dock_area.py
@@ -366,11 +366,8 @@ class BECDockArea(BECWidget, QWidget):
                     f"Name {name} must be unique for docks, but already exists in DockArea "
                     f"with name: {self.object_name} and id {self.gui_id}."
                 )
-            if not WidgetContainerUtils.has_name_valid_chars(name):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Name {name} contains invalid characters. "
-                    f"Only alphanumeric characters and underscores are allowed."
-                )
+            WidgetContainerUtils.raise_for_invalid_name(name, container=self)
+
         else:  # Name is not provided
             name = WidgetContainerUtils.generate_unique_name(name="dock", list_of_names=dock_names)