diff --git a/lib/app/index.js b/lib/app/index.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/app/index.js
+++ b/lib/app/index.js
@@ -294,6 +294,12 @@ App.prototype.validate = function( lvl_publish ){
 					settingsObj.forEach(function(setting, j) {
 
 						if( setting.type === 'group' ) {
+							
+							if( typeof setting.children == 'undefined' )
+								return error("missing `driver[" + i + "].settings" + path + "[" + j + "].children` in app.json");
+							
+							if( !Array.isArray(setting.children) )
+								return error("`driver[" + i + "].settings" + path + "[" + j + "].children` in app.json is not an Array.");
 
 							checkSettingsRecursive.call( this, setting.children, path + `[${j}].children` );
fix crash when a driver setting of type group without children was present (#<I>)