diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Linalg/Transforms/CodegenStrategy.h b/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Linalg/Transforms/CodegenStrategy.h
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Linalg/Transforms/CodegenStrategy.h
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/Dialect/Linalg/Transforms/CodegenStrategy.h
@@ -268,7 +268,6 @@
   vectorize(StringRef opName,
             LinalgTransformationFilter::FilterFunction f = nullptr,
             bool vectorizePadding = false) {
-    assert(!opName.empty() && "expected an op name");
     transformationSequence.emplace_back(std::make_unique<Vectorize>(
         opName, linalg::LinalgVectorizationOptions(), f, vectorizePadding));
     return *this;
diff --git a/mlir/test/Dialect/Linalg/codegen-strategy.mlir b/mlir/test/Dialect/Linalg/codegen-strategy.mlir
--- a/mlir/test/Dialect/Linalg/codegen-strategy.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/Dialect/Linalg/codegen-strategy.mlir
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // RUN: mlir-opt %s -test-linalg-codegen-strategy="anchor-func=matmul anchor-op=linalg.matmul tile-sizes=16,32,64 promote promote-full-tile-pad register-tile-sizes=2,4,8 vectorize vectorize-contraction-to=outerproduct split-transfers=true unroll-vector-transfers=false" -split-input-file | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=CHECK-OUTER
 // RUN: mlir-opt %s -test-linalg-codegen-strategy="anchor-func=matmul anchor-op=linalg.matmul tile-sizes=16,32,64 tile-interchange=1,2,0 generalize iterator-interchange=0,2,1" -split-input-file | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=CHECK-INTERCHANGE
 // RUN: mlir-opt %s -test-linalg-codegen-strategy="anchor-func=matmul anchor-op=linalg.matmul tile-sizes=16,32,64 pad pack-paddings=1,1,0 hoist-paddings=3,3,0" -split-input-file | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=CHECK-PAD
+// RUN: mlir-opt %s -test-linalg-codegen-strategy="anchor-func=matmul anchor-op=linalg.matmul tile-sizes=16,32,64 fuse pad vectorize" -split-input-file | FileCheck %s --check-prefix=CHECK-FUSE
 
 // CHECK-INTRINSIC: func @matmul(
 //     CHECK-OUTER: func @matmul(
@@ -56,3 +57,20 @@
   %0 = linalg.matmul ins(%arg0, %arg1: tensor<72x72xf32>, tensor<72x72xf32>) outs(%arg2: tensor<72x72xf32>) -> tensor<72x72xf32>
   return %0 : tensor<72x72xf32>
 }
+
+// -----
+
+//         CHECK-FUSE: func @matmul(
+func @matmul(%arg0: tensor<72x72xf32>, %arg1: tensor<72x72xf32>, %arg2: tensor<72x72xf32>) -> tensor<72x72xf32> {
+
+  // Check the padding and vectorization applies to the fill operation due to the empty anchor op string.
+  //        CHECK-FUSE:  %[[CST:.*]] = arith.constant dense<0.000000e+00>
+  //        CHECK-FUSE:  vector.transfer_write %[[CST]]
+  %cst = arith.constant 0.0 : f32
+  %0 = linalg.fill(%cst, %arg0) : f32, tensor<72x72xf32> -> tensor<72x72xf32>
+
+  // Check the matmul is padded and vectorized despite the empty anchor op string.
+  //        CHECK-FUSE:  vector.outerproduct
+  %1 = linalg.matmul ins(%arg0, %arg1: tensor<72x72xf32>, tensor<72x72xf32>) outs(%0: tensor<72x72xf32>) -> tensor<72x72xf32>
+  return %1 : tensor<72x72xf32>
+}
diff --git a/mlir/test/lib/Dialect/Linalg/TestLinalgCodegenStrategy.cpp b/mlir/test/lib/Dialect/Linalg/TestLinalgCodegenStrategy.cpp
--- a/mlir/test/lib/Dialect/Linalg/TestLinalgCodegenStrategy.cpp
+++ b/mlir/test/lib/Dialect/Linalg/TestLinalgCodegenStrategy.cpp
@@ -165,24 +165,24 @@
     vector::VectorTransferSplit vectorTransferSplit) {
   assert(!anchorOpName.empty());
   CodegenStrategy strategy;
-  StringRef genericOpName = GenericOp::getOperationName();
   strategy
       .tileAndFuseIf(fuse && !tileSizes.empty(), anchorOpName,
                      tilingAndFusionOptions)
       .tileIf(!fuse && !tileSizes.empty(), anchorOpName, tilingOptions)
-      .promoteIf(promote, anchorOpName,
+      .promoteIf(!fuse && promote, anchorOpName,
                  LinalgPromotionOptions()
                      .setAlignment(16)
                      .setUseFullTileBuffersByDefault(promoteFullTile))
-      .tileIf(!registerTileSizes.empty(), anchorOpName, registerTilingOptions)
-      .promoteIf(registerPromote, anchorOpName,
+      .tileIf(!fuse && !registerTileSizes.empty(), anchorOpName,
+              registerTilingOptions)
+      .promoteIf(!fuse && registerPromote, anchorOpName,
                  LinalgPromotionOptions()
                      .setAlignment(16)
                      .setUseFullTileBuffersByDefault(registerPromoteFullTile))
-      .padIf(pad, anchorOpName, paddingOptions)
-      .generalizeIf(generalize, anchorOpName)
+      .padIf(pad, "", paddingOptions)
+      .generalizeIf(generalize, "")
       .interchangeIf(!iteratorInterchange.empty(), iteratorInterchange)
-      .vectorizeIf(vectorize, generalize ? genericOpName : anchorOpName)
+      .vectorizeIf(vectorize, "")
       .vectorLowering(
           LinalgVectorLoweringOptions()
               .setVectorTransformsOptions(