diff --git a/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/config.py b/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/config.py
index 4d55a8a79..74c2b447e 100644
--- a/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/config.py
+++ b/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/config.py
@@ -176,7 +176,15 @@ def functions(self) -> Mapping[str, NeedFunctionsType]:
 
     def add_function(self, function: DynamicFunction, name: str | None = None) -> None:
         """Adds a dynamic function to the configuration."""
-        func_name = function.__name__ if name is None else name
+        func_name = getattr(function, "__name__", None) if name is None else name
+        if func_name is None:
+            log_warning(
+                LOGGER,
+                f"Dynamic function {function!r} has no __name__ and no name was provided.",
+                "config",
+                None,
+            )
+            return
         if func_name in self._functions:
             log_warning(
                 LOGGER,
diff --git a/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/needs.py b/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/needs.py
index 1077ea8db..f16dcecfb 100644
--- a/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/needs.py
+++ b/packages/sphinx-needs/src/sphinx_needs/needs.py
@@ -993,16 +993,26 @@ def merge_default_configs(_app: Sphinx, config: Config) -> None:
         _NEEDS_CONFIG.add_function(need_common_func)
 
     # Register functions configured by user
-    for needs_func in needs_config._functions:
-        if not callable(needs_func):
-            log_warning(
-                LOGGER,
-                f"needs_functions entry {needs_func!r} is not callable and is ignored",
-                "config",
-                None,
-            )
-            continue
-        _NEEDS_CONFIG.add_function(needs_func)
+    if isinstance(needs_config._functions, (list, tuple)):
+        for needs_func in needs_config._functions:
+            if not callable(needs_func):
+                log_warning(
+                    LOGGER,
+                    f"needs_functions entry {needs_func!r} is not callable and is ignored",
+                    "config",
+                    None,
+                )
+                continue
+            if not getattr(needs_func, "__name__", None):
+                log_warning(
+                    LOGGER,
+                    f"needs_functions entry {needs_func!r} has no __name__ and is ignored "
+                    "(use a callable with a __name__, or add_dynamic_function(func, name=...) for one without)",
+                    "config",
+                    None,
+                )
+                continue
+            _NEEDS_CONFIG.add_function(needs_func)
 
     # The default link name. Must exist in all configurations. Therefore we set it here for the user.
     if "links" not in needs_config._links:
diff --git a/packages/sphinx-needs/tests/test_needs_from_toml_functions.py b/packages/sphinx-needs/tests/test_needs_from_toml_functions.py
index 4feb99483..f2eaa367a 100644
--- a/packages/sphinx-needs/tests/test_needs_from_toml_functions.py
+++ b/packages/sphinx-needs/tests/test_needs_from_toml_functions.py
@@ -169,3 +169,70 @@ def test_a_function_from_conf_py_is_still_registered_beside_a_toml_file(build):
     assert_no_warnings(app)
     assert app.config.needs_id_required is True
     assert _need(app, "R_ONE")["status"] == "forty-two"
+
+
+def test_needs_functions_entry_without_name_warns_and_is_ignored(build):
+    """A callable without a __name__ (e.g. functools.partial) in needs_functions warns
+    and is ignored rather than raising AttributeError."""
+    conf = """\
+        extensions = ["sphinx_needs"]
+        suppress_warnings = ["config.cache"]
+        import functools
+
+        needs_functions = [functools.partial(min, 1)]
+    """
+    app = build({"conf.py": conf})
+    warnings = build_warnings(app)
+    assert len(warnings) == 1
+    assert "has no __name__ and is ignored" in warnings[0]
+    assert "[needs.config]" in warnings[0]
+    assert app.statuscode == 0
+
+
+def test_needs_functions_none_value_does_not_crash(build):
+    """Setting needs_functions = None does not crash with TypeError."""
+    app = build({"conf.py": 'extensions = ["sphinx_needs"]\nneeds_functions = None\n'})
+    assert app.statuscode == 0
+
+
+def test_needs_functions_bare_callable_value_does_not_crash(build):
+    """Setting needs_functions = func (a bare function instead of a list) does not crash."""
+    conf = """\
+        extensions = ["sphinx_needs"]
+        suppress_warnings = ["config.cache"]
+
+        def dummy():
+            pass
+
+        needs_functions = dummy
+    """
+    app = build({"conf.py": conf})
+    assert app.statuscode == 0
+
+
+def test_add_dynamic_function_allows_callables_without_name(build):
+    """add_dynamic_function allows registering a callable without __name__ when a name is given."""
+    conf = """\
+        extensions = ["sphinx_needs"]
+        needs_build_json = True
+        suppress_warnings = ["config.cache"]
+        import functools
+        from sphinx_needs.api import add_dynamic_function
+
+        def raw_answer(app, need, needs, extra):
+            return f"answer-{extra}"
+
+        def setup(app):
+            add_dynamic_function(app, functools.partial(raw_answer, extra="partial"), name="partial_func")
+    """
+    rst = """\
+        Title
+        =====
+
+        .. req:: One
+           :id: R_ONE
+           :status: [[partial_func()]]
+    """
+    app = build({"conf.py": conf, "index.rst": rst})
+    assert_no_warnings(app)
+    assert _need(app, "R_ONE")["status"] == "answer-partial"