diff --git a/grok.go b/grok.go
index 1c362e3..49e97f2 100644
--- a/grok.go
+++ b/grok.go
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ func (g *Grok) AddPatternsFromMap(m map[string]string) error {
 	for k, v := range m {
 		keys := []string{}
 		for _, key := range re.FindAllStringSubmatch(v, -1) {
+			if g.patterns[key[1]] == nil {
+				if m[key[1]] == "" {
+					return fmt.Errorf("no pattern found for %%{%s}", key[1])
+				}
+			}
 			keys = append(keys, key[1])
 		}
 		patternDeps[k] = keys
diff --git a/grok_test.go b/grok_test.go
index e535902..2d93689 100644
--- a/grok_test.go
+++ b/grok_test.go
@@ -537,3 +537,68 @@ func TestParseTypedWithSemanticHomonyms(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGrok_AddPatternsFromMap_not_exist(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("AddPatternsFromMap panics: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+	g := New()
+	err := g.AddPatternsFromMap(map[string]string{
+		"SOME": "%{NOT_EXIST}",
+	})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("AddPatternsFromMap should returns an error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGrok_AddPatternsFromMap_simple(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("AddPatternsFromMap panics: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+	g := New()
+	err := g.AddPatternsFromMap(map[string]string{
+		"NO3": `\d{3}`,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("AddPatternsFromMap returns an error: %v", err)
+	}
+	mss, err := g.Parse("%{NO3:match}", "333")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("parsing error:", err)
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+	if mss["match"] != "333" {
+		t.Errorf("bad match: expected 333, got %s", mss["match"])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGrok_AddPatternsFromMap_complex(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("AddPatternsFromMap panics: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+	g := NewWithConfig(&Config{
+		SkipDefaultPatterns: true,
+		NamedCapturesOnly:   true,
+	})
+	err := g.AddPatternsFromMap(map[string]string{
+		"NO3": `\d{3}`,
+		"NO6": "%{NO3}%{NO3}",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("AddPatternsFromMap returns an error: %v", err)
+	}
+	mss, err := g.Parse("%{NO6:number}", "333666")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("parsing error:", err)
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+	if mss["number"] != "333666" {
+		t.Errorf("bad match: expected 333666, got %s", mss["match"])
+	}
+}