diff --git a/karma.conf.js b/karma.conf.js
index e601e25ff..bccda96ff 100644
--- a/karma.conf.js
+++ b/karma.conf.js
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ module.exports = function(karma) {
       chrome: {
         base: 'Chrome',
         flags: [
-          '--disable-accelerated-2d-canvas'
+          '--disable-accelerated-2d-canvas',
+          '--disable-background-timer-throttling',
+          '--disable-backgrounding-occluded-windows',
+          '--disable-renderer-backgrounding'
         ]
       },
       firefox: {
diff --git a/src/annotation.js b/src/annotation.js
index 9938d51b2..12e71a3b5 100644
--- a/src/annotation.js
+++ b/src/annotation.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export default {
     } else if (isArray(annotationOptions)) {
       annotations.push(...annotationOptions);
     }
+    verifyScaleOptions(annotations, chart.scales);
   },
 
   afterDataLimits(chart, args) {
@@ -278,3 +279,13 @@ function getScaleLimits(scale, annotations) {
   }
   return {min, max};
 }
+
+function verifyScaleOptions(annotations, scales) {
+  for (const annotation of annotations) {
+    for (const key of ['scaleID', 'xScaleID', 'yScaleID']) {
+      if (annotation[key] && !scales[annotation[key]]) {
+        throw new Error(`Non-existing scale '${annotation[key]}' defined as ${key} for annotation '${annotation.id}'. Configured scales: ${Object.keys(scales).join(', ')}`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/box/missingScale.js b/test/fixtures/box/missingScale.js
deleted file mode 100644
index a57b2d226..000000000
--- a/test/fixtures/box/missingScale.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = {
-  tolerance: 0.0055,
-  config: {
-    type: 'bar',
-    options: {
-      scales: {
-        x: {
-          labels: ['January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July'],
-        },
-        y: {
-          display: false,
-          min: 0,
-          max: 25
-        }
-      },
-      plugins: {
-        annotation: {
-          annotations: {
-            box: {
-              type: 'box',
-              xScaleID: 'x',
-              yScaleID: 'missing',
-              xMin: 'February',
-              xMax: 'May',
-              yMin: 5,
-              yMax: 18,
-              backgroundColor: 'rgba(33, 101, 171, 0.5)',
-              borderColor: 'rgb(33, 101, 171)',
-              borderWidth: 0,
-            },
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  },
-  options: {
-    spriteText: true
-  }
-};
diff --git a/test/fixtures/box/missingScale.png b/test/fixtures/box/missingScale.png
deleted file mode 100644
index 5ca51ecee..000000000
Binary files a/test/fixtures/box/missingScale.png and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/test/specs/scales.spec.js b/test/specs/scales.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff6c2ab28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/scales.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+describe('scale options', function() {
+  ['scaleID', 'xScaleID', 'yScaleID'].forEach(function(key) {
+    it(`should throw an exception when ${key} is not a defined scale`, function() {
+      function create() {
+        return acquireChart({
+          type: 'line',
+          data: {
+            datasets: [{
+              data: [1, 2, 3]
+            }]
+          },
+          options: {
+            plugins: {
+              annotation: {
+                annotations: {
+                  test: {
+                    type: 'line',
+                    [key]: 'missing'
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        });
+      }
+      expect(create).toThrowError(`Non-existing scale 'missing' defined as ${key} for annotation 'test'. Configured scales: x, y`);
+    });
+  });
+});