diff --git a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/ArmarXEtherCAT/EtherCATRTUnit.cpp b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/ArmarXEtherCAT/EtherCATRTUnit.cpp
index 0fa7cc0b918228cc21398ca5ccd4825b2c78cfdb..2b9499c0d1fd36da6fad8848341f9bb3a007fecc 100644
--- a/source/RobotAPI/libraries/ArmarXEtherCAT/EtherCATRTUnit.cpp
+++ b/source/RobotAPI/libraries/ArmarXEtherCAT/EtherCATRTUnit.cpp
@@ -110,8 +110,12 @@ void EtherCATRTUnit::onInitRobotUnit()
 
     ARMARX_INFO << "EtherCATRTUnit initializing now";
     publishRobot = rtGetRobot()->clone();
+    ARMARX_CHECK_EXPRESSION(rtGetRobot()->hasRobotNodeSet("RobotJoints"));
+    ARMARX_CHECK_EXPRESSION(rtGetRobot()->hasRobotNodeSet("RobotCol"));
     rtRobotJointSet = rtGetRobot()->getRobotNodeSet("RobotJoints");
     rtRobotBodySet = rtGetRobot()->getRobotNodeSet("RobotCol");
+    ARMARX_CHECK_NOT_NULL(rtRobotJointSet);
+    ARMARX_CHECK_NOT_NULL(rtRobotBodySet);
     for (auto& node : *rtRobotJointSet)
     {
         node->setEnforceJointLimits(false);