diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm
index 85f737f54..5c8174550 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm
@@ -323,6 +323,8 @@ sub process_action1 ( $$ ) {
 	    fatal_error "Parameter value not allowed in action files ($param)" if $paramtype & NATRULE;
 	}
 
+	fatal_error "Invalid or missing ACTION ( $wholetarget )" unless defined $target;
+
 	if ( find_macro $target ) {
 	    process_macro1( $action, $macros{$target} );
 	} else {
diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
index 2dd54b2d5..b2033aef5 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
@@ -808,7 +808,10 @@ sub process_macro ( $$$$$$$$$$$$ ) {
 	    $mtarget = substitute_param $param,  $mtarget;
 	}
 
-	my $action     = isolate_basic_target $mtarget;
+	my $action = isolate_basic_target $mtarget;
+
+	fatal_error "Invalid or missing ACTION ( $mtarget )" unless defined $action;
+
 	my $actiontype = $targets{$action} || find_macro( $action );
 
 	fatal_error "Invalid Action ($mtarget) in macro" unless $actiontype & ( ACTION +  STANDARD + NATRULE + MACRO );