diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 676771f6..a65343c3 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # targets 1.9.1.9000
 
 * Use a more lookup-efficient data structure for `tar_runtime$file_info` (#1398).
+* Fall back on vector aggregation without names (#1401, @guglicap).
 
 # targets 1.9.1
 
diff --git a/R/class_vector.R b/R/class_vector.R
index 082bebff..a5b3596b 100644
--- a/R/class_vector.R
+++ b/R/class_vector.R
@@ -18,6 +18,23 @@ value_produce_slice.tar_vector <- function(value, index) { # nolint
 
 #' @export
 value_produce_aggregate.tar_vector <- function(value, objects) { # nolint
+  tar_vec_c(objects)
+}
+
+tar_vec_c <- function(objects) {
+  tryCatch(
+    vec_c_spec(objects),
+    # Covered in tests/testthat/test-class_vector.R
+    # but might not register in covr.
+    # nocov start
+    error = function(condition) {
+      do.call(vctrs::vec_c, unname(objects))
+    }
+    # nocov end
+  )
+}
+
+vec_c_spec <- function(objects) {
   objects$.name_spec <- "{outer}_{inner}"
   do.call(vctrs::vec_c, objects)
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-class_vector.R b/tests/testthat/test-class_vector.R
index 9d963c88..cee534b9 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-class_vector.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-class_vector.R
@@ -42,3 +42,12 @@ tar_test("vector$validate()", {
   x <- value_init(object = "abc", iteration = "vector")
   expect_silent(value_validate(x))
 })
+
+tar_test("tar_vec_c()", {
+  expect_equal(tar_vec_c(list(x = TRUE, y = FALSE)), c(x = TRUE, y = FALSE))
+  x <- structure(TRUE, class = "custom")
+  y <- structure(FALSE, class = "custom")
+  c.custom <- function(...) structure(NextMethod(), class = "custom")
+  out <- tar_vec_c(list(x = x, y = y))
+  expect_equal(as.logical(out), c(TRUE, FALSE))
+})