diff --git a/rm-server/config/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat-context.xml b/rm-server/config/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat-context.xml
index 7c1a972bc9..bdae2bc7aa 100644
--- a/rm-server/config/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat-context.xml
+++ b/rm-server/config/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat-context.xml
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
 
    <bean id="caveatDAOFromJSON" class="org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.dao.CaveatDAOFromJSON">
       <property name="configLocation" value="${rm.caveat.configFile}" />
-      <property name="namespaceService" ref="namespaceService" />
+       <property name="namespaceService" ref="namespaceService" />
+       <property name="dictionaryService" ref="dictionaryService" />
    </bean>
 
    <bean id="caveatDAO" class="org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.dao.CaveatDAOCache">
diff --git a/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSON.java b/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSON.java
index 69e980cb76..546309510a 100644
--- a/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSON.java
+++ b/rm-server/source/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSON.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.CaveatException.Malform
 import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.scheme.CaveatGroup;
 import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.scheme.CaveatGroupType;
 import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.scheme.CaveatMark;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.DictionaryService;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceService;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ public class CaveatDAOFromJSON implements CaveatDAOInterface
     /** The location of the configuration file relative to the classpath. */
     private String configLocation;
 
+    private DictionaryService dictionaryService;
     private NamespaceService namespaceService;
 
     /** Set the location of the configuration file relative to the classpath. */
@@ -90,6 +92,10 @@ public class CaveatDAOFromJSON implements CaveatDAOInterface
     {
         this.namespaceService = service;
     }
+    public void setDictionaryService(DictionaryService service)
+    {
+        this.dictionaryService = service;
+    }
 
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
@@ -224,12 +230,40 @@ public class CaveatDAOFromJSON implements CaveatDAOInterface
 
         // Instantiate the group (and associate the marks with the group).
         CaveatGroup caveatGroup = new CaveatGroup(id, displayLabelKey, descriptionKey,
-                                                  modelProperty == null ? null : createQName(modelProperty, namespaceService),
+                                                  validatedPropertyName(modelProperty),
                                                   caveatGroupType, caveatMarks);
 
         return caveatGroup;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Validates that the provided qname string is a valid model property.
+     * @param qnameString the short form qname string e.g. {@code cm:content} or {@code null}.
+     * @return the valid {@link QName} or {@code null} if the qnameString was {@code null}.
+     * @throws MalformedConfiguration if the provided qnameString was not {@code null} and was not a valid property name.
+     */
+    private QName validatedPropertyName(String qnameString)
+    {
+        if (qnameString == null)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            final QName qname = createQName(qnameString, namespaceService);
+            final boolean isProperty = dictionaryService.getProperty(qname) != null;
+
+            if (isProperty)
+            {
+                return qname;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                throw new MalformedConfiguration("Property name not recognised: '" + qnameString + "'");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Create a caveat mark from the supplied JSON. This does not set the group id of the caveat mark.
      *
diff --git a/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSONUnitTest.java b/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSONUnitTest.java
index 758a5a15ef..0c822a8227 100644
--- a/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSONUnitTest.java
+++ b/rm-server/unit-test/java/org/alfresco/module/org_alfresco_module_rm/caveat/dao/CaveatDAOFromJSONUnitTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.dao;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.anyString;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
@@ -29,7 +30,10 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.CaveatException.MalformedConfiguration;
 import org.alfresco.module.org_alfresco_module_rm.caveat.scheme.CaveatGroup;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.DictionaryService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.PropertyDefinition;
 import org.alfresco.service.namespace.NamespaceService;
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -49,6 +53,11 @@ public class CaveatDAOFromJSONUnitTest
         NamespaceService namespaceService = mock(NamespaceService.class);
         when(namespaceService.getNamespaceURI(anyString())).thenReturn("{mockedNamespace}");
 
+        DictionaryService dictionaryService = mock(DictionaryService.class);
+        PropertyDefinition mockProperty = mock(PropertyDefinition.class);
+        when(dictionaryService.getProperty(any(QName.class))).thenReturn(mockProperty);
+
+        caveatDAOFromJSON.setDictionaryService(dictionaryService);
         caveatDAOFromJSON.setNamespaceService(namespaceService);
     }