diff --git a/lib/CoreBot.js b/lib/CoreBot.js
index a3f5ab9c7..382ea7756 100755
--- a/lib/CoreBot.js
+++ b/lib/CoreBot.js
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ function Botkit(configuration) {
             } else {
                 return false;
             }
-            
+
         }
 
         this.cloneMessage = function(message) {
@@ -790,9 +790,17 @@ function Botkit(configuration) {
 
                 // the pattern might be a string to match (including regular expression syntax)
                 // or it might be a prebuilt regular expression
-                var test;
+                var test = null;
                 if (typeof(tests[t]) == 'string') {
-                    test = new RegExp(tests[t], 'i');
+                    try {
+                        test = new RegExp(tests[t], 'i');
+                    } catch(err) {
+                        botkit.log('Error in regular expression: ' + tests[t] + ': ' + err);
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                    if (!test) {
+                        return false;
+                    }
                 } else {
                     test = tests[t];
                 }