diff --git a/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak.go b/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak.go
index fcc5848..5f28e86 100644
--- a/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak.go
+++ b/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak.go
@@ -389,10 +389,18 @@ func (s *n64ControllerPakStore) extractLogicalEntries(syncLineKey string, payloa
 	}
 	root := fsys.ReadDirRoot()
 	out := make([]n64ControllerPakExtractedEntry, 0, len(root))
-	for idx, dirEntry := range root {
+	for _, dirEntry := range root {
+		// Skip blank/empty note slots: some Controller Pak images expose free or
+		// uninitialised slots whose name is empty, which pakfs.Open rejects with
+		// "open : invalid argument". Ignoring them (rather than erroring) stops valid
+		// .cpk uploads from being rejected with HTTP 422 ("open controller pak entry").
+		if strings.TrimSpace(dirEntry.Name()) == "" {
+			continue
+		}
 		opened, err := fsys.Open(dirEntry.Name())
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("open controller pak entry %q: %w", dirEntry.Name(), err)
+			// A single unreadable note must not fail the whole Controller Pak upload.
+			continue
 		}
 		file, ok := opened.(*pakfs.File)
 		if !ok {
@@ -418,7 +426,7 @@ func (s *n64ControllerPakStore) extractLogicalEntries(syncLineKey string, payloa
 			GameCode:       strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(gameCode)),
 			PublisherCode:  strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(publisherCode)),
 			NoteName:       noteName,
-			EntryIndex:     idx + 1,
+			EntryIndex:     len(out) + 1,
 			PageCount:      int((file.Size() + 255) / 256),
 			BlockUsage:     int((file.Size() + 255) / 256),
 			StructureValid: true,
@@ -448,7 +456,18 @@ func countN64ControllerPakEntries(payload []byte) (int, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("parse controller pak filesystem: %w", err)
 	}
-	return len(fsys.ReadDirRoot()), nil
+	root := fsys.ReadDirRoot()
+	count := 0
+	for _, dirEntry := range root {
+		// Count only real, named notes — ignore blank/empty slots that
+		// extractLogicalEntries also skips, so validation and extraction agree
+		// (a pak with only empty slots counts as 0 → "no save entries", not a
+		// later HTTP 422 during extraction).
+		if strings.TrimSpace(dirEntry.Name()) != "" {
+			count++
+		}
+	}
+	return count, nil
 }
 
 func (logical n64ControllerPakLogicalSave) latestRevision() (n64ControllerPakLogicalRevision, bool) {
diff --git a/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak_emptyslot_test.go b/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak_emptyslot_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..defbc69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/cmd/server/n64_controller_pak_emptyslot_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// Regression for the N64 Controller Pak HTTP 422 upload bug: real-world mempaks
+// (e.g. a MiSTer-written .cpk) can contain a blank/empty-named note slot that
+// pakfs surfaces in ReadDirRoot but cannot Open, which previously made both
+// countN64ControllerPakEntries and extractLogicalEntries fail with
+// `open controller pak entry "": open : invalid argument` — rejecting the whole
+// (valid) save with HTTP 422. Fixture is a real Controller Pak exhibiting this.
+func TestN64ControllerPakEmptySlotDoesNotError(t *testing.T) {
+	buf, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("testdata", "n64_controller_pak_empty_slot.cpk"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read fixture: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	count, err := countN64ControllerPakEntries(buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("countN64ControllerPakEntries errored on real mempak with empty slot: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	store, err := newN64ControllerPakStore(t.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("newN64ControllerPakStore: %v", err)
+	}
+	entries, err := store.extractLogicalEntries("synctest", buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "open controller pak entry") {
+			t.Fatalf("regression: extract still fails on empty slot: %v", err)
+		}
+		t.Fatalf("extractLogicalEntries errored: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(entries) != count {
+		t.Fatalf("extract/count disagree: count=%d extracted=%d", count, len(entries))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/cmd/server/testdata/n64_controller_pak_empty_slot.cpk b/backend/cmd/server/testdata/n64_controller_pak_empty_slot.cpk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aae3b60
Binary files /dev/null and b/backend/cmd/server/testdata/n64_controller_pak_empty_slot.cpk differ