diff --git a/rm-community/rm-community-repo/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor.java b/rm-community/rm-community-repo/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor.java
index cdcb5aa89c..b6eac36746 100644
--- a/rm-community/rm-community-repo/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor.java
+++ b/rm-community/rm-community-repo/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import org.alfresco.error.AlfrescoRuntimeException;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -170,8 +171,11 @@ public class RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor implements BeanFactoryPostProcessor
     }
 
     /**
-     * @param stringValue
-     * @return
+     * Convert the lines of a string to a map, separating keys from values by the first "=" sign.
+     *
+     * @param stringValue The multi-line string.
+     * @return The resulting map.
+     * @throws AlfrescoRuntimeException If a non-blank line does not contain an "=" sign.
      */
     protected Map<String, String> convertToMap(String stringValue)
     {
@@ -180,14 +184,14 @@ public class RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor implements BeanFactoryPostProcessor
         for (String value : values)
         {
             String trimmed = value.trim();
-            if (trimmed.equals(""))
+            if (trimmed.isEmpty())
             {
                 continue;
             }
             String[] pair = trimmed.split("=", 2);
             if (pair.length != 2)
             {
-                LOGGER.error("Error converting string to map: {}", trimmed);
+                throw new AlfrescoRuntimeException("Could not convert string to map " + trimmed);
             }
             map.put(pair[0], pair[1]);
         }
diff --git a/rm-community/rm-community-repo/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessorUnitTest.java b/rm-community/rm-community-repo/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessorUnitTest.java
index 998c176047..bb996e6c4d 100644
--- a/rm-community/rm-community-repo/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessorUnitTest.java
+++ b/rm-community/rm-community-repo/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/security/RMMethodSecurityPostProcessorUnitTest.java
@@ -34,13 +34,17 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 
+import org.alfresco.error.AlfrescoRuntimeException;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for {@link RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor}.
+ *
+ * See RM-7119.
  */
 public class RMMethodSecurityPostProcessorUnitTest
 {
+    /** The class under test. */
     private RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor rmMethodSecurityPostProcessor = new RMMethodSecurityPostProcessor();
 
     @Test
@@ -77,4 +81,11 @@ public class RMMethodSecurityPostProcessorUnitTest
         Map<String, String> actual = rmMethodSecurityPostProcessor.convertToMap("a=b=c\nd=e=f");
         assertEquals("Issue with handling of = symbol in value.", ImmutableMap.of("a", "b=c", "d", "e=f"), actual);
     }
+
+    /** Check that if a line is missing an equals sign then we get an exception. */
+    @Test(expected = AlfrescoRuntimeException.class)
+    public void testConvertToMap_missingEquals()
+    {
+        rmMethodSecurityPostProcessor.convertToMap("a=b\ncd");
+    }
 }