diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Controllers/AdminController.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Controllers/AdminController.cs
index e1264dc24..98217016c 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Controllers/AdminController.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Controllers/AdminController.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ using Orchard.Core.Contents.Controllers;
 using Orchard.Localization;
 using Orchard.UI.Admin;
 using Orchard.UI.Notify;
+using Orchard.UI.Widgets;
 using Orchard.Widgets.Models;
 using Orchard.Widgets.Services;
 using Orchard.Widgets.ViewModels;
@@ -19,13 +20,16 @@ namespace Orchard.Widgets.Controllers {
         private const string NotAuthorizedManageWidgetsLabel = "Not authorized to manage widgets";
 
         private readonly IWidgetsService _widgetsService;
+        private readonly IRuleManager _ruleManager;
 
         public AdminController(
             IOrchardServices services,
-            IWidgetsService widgetsService) {
+            IWidgetsService widgetsService,
+            IRuleManager ruleManager) {
 
             Services = services;
             _widgetsService = widgetsService;
+            _ruleManager = ruleManager;
 
             T = NullLocalizer.Instance;
         }
@@ -171,6 +175,9 @@ namespace Orchard.Widgets.Controllers {
                     return HttpNotFound();
 
                 var model = Services.ContentManager.UpdateEditor(layerPart, this);
+
+                ValidateLayer(layerPart);
+
                 if (!ModelState.IsValid) {
                     Services.TransactionManager.Cancel();
                     return View(model);
@@ -216,6 +223,9 @@ namespace Orchard.Widgets.Controllers {
                     return HttpNotFound();
 
                 var model = Services.ContentManager.UpdateEditor(layerPart, this);
+
+                ValidateLayer(layerPart);
+
                 if (!ModelState.IsValid) {
                     Services.TransactionManager.Cancel();
                     return View(model);
@@ -325,6 +335,27 @@ namespace Orchard.Widgets.Controllers {
                 RedirectToAction("Index");
         }
 
+        public bool ValidateLayer(LayerPart layer) {
+            if ( String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(layer.LayerRule) ) {
+                layer.LayerRule = "true";
+            }
+
+            if(_widgetsService.GetLayers().Any(l => String.CompareOrdinal(l.Name, layer.Name) == 0)) {
+                ModelState.AddModelError("Name", T("A Layer with the same name already exists").Text);
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            try {
+                _ruleManager.Matches(layer.LayerRule);
+            }
+            catch ( Exception e ) {
+                ModelState.AddModelError("Description", T("The rule is not valid: {0}", e.Message).Text);
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
         bool IUpdateModel.TryUpdateModel<TModel>(TModel model, string prefix, string[] includeProperties, string[] excludeProperties) {
             return base.TryUpdateModel(model, prefix, includeProperties, excludeProperties);
         }
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Filters/WidgetFilter.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Filters/WidgetFilter.cs
index ae148948e..ee00ba7b1 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Filters/WidgetFilter.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Widgets/Filters/WidgetFilter.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
-using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Web.Mvc;
 using Orchard.ContentManagement;
 using Orchard.ContentManagement.Aspects;
+using Orchard.Localization;
+using Orchard.Logging;
 using Orchard.Mvc.Filters;
 using Orchard.UI.Admin;
 using Orchard.UI.Widgets;
@@ -17,8 +20,13 @@ namespace Orchard.Widgets.Filters {
             _contentManager = contentManager;
             _workContextAccessor = workContextAccessor;
             _ruleManager = ruleManager;
+            Logger = NullLogger.Instance;
+            T = NullLocalizer.Instance;
         }
 
+        public ILogger Logger { get; set; }
+        public Localizer T { get; private set; }
+
         public void OnResultExecuting(ResultExecutingContext filterContext) {
             // layers and widgets should only run on a full view rendering result
             var viewResult = filterContext.Result as ViewResult;
@@ -42,8 +50,14 @@ namespace Orchard.Widgets.Filters {
             List<int> activeLayerIds = new List<int>();
             foreach (var activeLayer in activeLayers) {
                 var context = workContext.HttpContext;
-                if (_ruleManager.Matches(activeLayer.Record.LayerRule)) {
-                    activeLayerIds.Add(activeLayer.ContentItem.Id);
+                // ignore the rule if it fails to execute
+                try {
+                    if (_ruleManager.Matches(activeLayer.Record.LayerRule)) {
+                        activeLayerIds.Add(activeLayer.ContentItem.Id);
+                    }
+                }
+                catch(Exception e) {
+                    Logger.Debug(e, T("An error occured during layer evaluation").Text);
                 }
             }