diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
index 6fa3f401fa2..5655e1fc25d 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
@@ -515,6 +515,13 @@ void ThingTemplate::parseModuleName(INI* ini, void *instance, void* store, const
 
 	ModuleData* data = TheModuleFactory->newModuleDataFromINI(ini, tokenStr, type, moduleTagStr);
 
+	if (data == NULL)
+	{
+		DEBUG_CRASH(("[LINE: %d - FILE: '%s'] Module '%s' not found or failed to create for thing template '%s'. This module is not registered in the ModuleFactory. Please check that the module name is spelled correctly and that the module type is appropriate.",
+			ini->getLineNum(), ini->getFilename().str(), tokenStr.str(), self->getName().str()));
+		throw INI_INVALID_DATA;
+	}
+
 	if (data->isAiModuleData())
 	{
 		Bool replaced = mi->clearAiModuleInfo();
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
index 1e163cfb177..9bfc4b03ba6 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Thing/ThingTemplate.cpp
@@ -595,6 +595,13 @@ void ThingTemplate::parseModuleName(INI* ini, void *instance, void* store, const
 
 	ModuleData* data = TheModuleFactory->newModuleDataFromINI(ini, tokenStr, type, moduleTagStr);
 
+	if (data == NULL)
+	{
+		DEBUG_CRASH(("[LINE: %d - FILE: '%s'] Module '%s' not found or failed to create for thing template '%s'. This module is not registered in the ModuleFactory. Please check that the module name is spelled correctly and that the module type is appropriate.",
+			ini->getLineNum(), ini->getFilename().str(), tokenStr.str(), self->getName().str()));
+		throw INI_INVALID_DATA;
+	}
+
 	if (data->isAiModuleData())
 	{
 		Bool replaced = mi->clearAiModuleInfo();