diff --git a/qiskit/qasm3/exporter.py b/qiskit/qasm3/exporter.py
index 098ab8578d48..561e59a72242 100644
--- a/qiskit/qasm3/exporter.py
+++ b/qiskit/qasm3/exporter.py
@@ -626,7 +626,13 @@ def build_program(self):
             if builtin in _BUILTIN_GATES:
                 # It's built into the langauge; we don't need to re-add it.
                 continue
-            self.symbols.register_gate_without_definition(builtin, None)
+            try:
+                self.symbols.register_gate_without_definition(builtin, None)
+            except QASM3ExporterError as exc:
+                raise QASM3ExporterError(
+                    f"Cannot use '{builtin}' as a basis gate for the reason in the prior exception."
+                    " Consider renaming the gate if needed, or omitting this basis gate if not."
+                ) from exc
 
         header = ast.Header(ast.Version("3.0"), list(self.build_includes()))
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/qasm3-basis-gates-keyword-c5998bff1e178715.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/qasm3-basis-gates-keyword-c5998bff1e178715.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..82347fd920fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/qasm3-basis-gates-keyword-c5998bff1e178715.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    The OpenQASM 3 exporter will now correctly error when asked to use a keyword or other invalid
+    identifier as a "basis gate", as it has no way of putting out correct output in these cases.
diff --git a/test/python/qasm3/test_export.py b/test/python/qasm3/test_export.py
index 703b5f8cac12..868846925753 100644
--- a/test/python/qasm3/test_export.py
+++ b/test/python/qasm3/test_export.py
@@ -2699,3 +2699,11 @@ def test_disallow_export_of_inner_scope(self):
             QASM3ExporterError, "cannot export an inner scope.*as a top-level program"
         ):
             dumps(qc)
+
+    def test_no_basis_gate_with_keyword(self):
+        """Test that keyword cannot be used as a basis gate."""
+        qc = QuantumCircuit()
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(QASM3ExporterError, "Cannot use 'reset' as a basis gate") as cm:
+            dumps(qc, basis_gates=["U", "reset"])
+        self.assertIsInstance(cm.exception.__cause__, QASM3ExporterError)
+        self.assertRegex(cm.exception.__cause__.message, "cannot use the keyword 'reset'")