diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 5fef904e97..dfe42fd75d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 * 2.2.1 (2017-XX-XX)
 
- * n/a
+ * added error message when calling `parent()` in a block that doesn't exist in the parent template
 
 * 2.2.0 (2017-02-26)
 
diff --git a/lib/Twig/Template.php b/lib/Twig/Template.php
index 46e6b3c0f9..ee9117e9d0 100644
--- a/lib/Twig/Template.php
+++ b/lib/Twig/Template.php
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ public function displayBlock($name, array $context, array $blocks = array(), $us
             }
         } elseif (false !== $parent = $this->getParent($context)) {
             $parent->displayBlock($name, $context, array_merge($this->blocks, $blocks), false);
+        } elseif (isset($blocks[$name])) {
+            throw new Twig_Error_Runtime(sprintf('Block "%s" should not call parent() in "%s" as the block does not exist in the parent template "%s".', $name, $blocks[$name][0]->getTemplateName(), $this->getTemplateName()), -1, $blocks[$name][0]->getTemplateName());
         } else {
             throw new Twig_Error_Runtime(sprintf('Block "%s" on template "%s" does not exist.', $name, $this->getTemplateName()), -1, $this->getTemplateName());
         }
diff --git a/test/Twig/Tests/Fixtures/functions/block_without_parent.test b/test/Twig/Tests/Fixtures/functions/block_without_parent.test
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..756c6b1e3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Twig/Tests/Fixtures/functions/block_without_parent.test
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--TEST--
+"block" calling parent() with no definition in parent template
+--TEMPLATE--
+{% extends "parent.twig" %}
+{% block label %}{{ parent() }}{% endblock %}
+--TEMPLATE(parent.twig)--
+{{ block('label') }}
+--DATA--
+return array()
+--EXCEPTION--
+Twig_Error_Runtime: Block "label" should not call parent() in "index.twig" as the block does not exist in the parent template "parent.twig" in "index.twig" at line 3.
diff --git a/test/Twig/Tests/TemplateTest.php b/test/Twig/Tests/TemplateTest.php
index 74e26cd4d6..c658d18fb4 100644
--- a/test/Twig/Tests/TemplateTest.php
+++ b/test/Twig/Tests/TemplateTest.php
@@ -131,6 +131,17 @@ public function testDisplayBlockWithUndefinedBlock()
         $template->displayBlock('unknown', array());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @expectedException Twig_Error_Runtime
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage Block "foo" should not call parent() in "index.twig" as the block does not exist in the parent template "parent.twig"
+     */
+    public function testDisplayBlockWithUndefinedParentBlock()
+    {
+        $twig = new Twig_Environment($this->getMockBuilder('Twig_LoaderInterface')->getMock());
+        $template = new Twig_TemplateTest($twig, 'parent.twig');
+        $template->displayBlock('foo', array(), array('foo' => array(new Twig_TemplateTest($twig, 'index.twig'), 'block_foo')), false);
+    }
+
     public function testGetAttributeOnArrayWithConfusableKey()
     {
         $twig = new Twig_Environment($this->getMockBuilder('Twig_LoaderInterface')->getMock());