diff --git a/lib/Controller/DataSet.php b/lib/Controller/DataSet.php
index d5d406dde5..960e472171 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/DataSet.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/DataSet.php
@@ -729,6 +729,9 @@ public function editForm(Request $request, Response $response, $id)
         // Retrieve data sources from the event
         $dataConnectorSources = $event->getDataConnectorSources();
 
+        // retrieve the columns of the selected dataset
+        $dataSet->getColumn();
+
         // Set the form
         $this->getState()->template = 'dataset-form-edit';
         $this->getState()->setData([
diff --git a/lib/Helper/DataSetUploadHandler.php b/lib/Helper/DataSetUploadHandler.php
index 0b5a2c8dfc..c48d6b312a 100644
--- a/lib/Helper/DataSetUploadHandler.php
+++ b/lib/Helper/DataSetUploadHandler.php
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ protected function handleFormData($file, $index)
                 throw new AccessDeniedException();
             }
 
+            // Check if there are any columns defined in the dataset
+            if (count($dataSet->getColumn()) === 0) {
+                $controller->getLog()->error('Import failed: No columns defined in the dataset.');
+                throw new InvalidArgumentException('Import failed: No columns defined in the dataset.');
+            }
+
             // We are allowed to edit - pull all required parameters from the request object
             $overwrite = $sanitizer->getCheckbox('overwrite');
             $ignoreFirstRow = $sanitizer->getCheckbox('ignorefirstrow');
@@ -95,7 +101,6 @@ protected function handleFormData($file, $index)
 
             $firstRow = true;
             $i = 0;
-
             $handle = fopen($controller->getConfig()->getSetting('LIBRARY_LOCATION') . 'temp/' . $fileName, 'r');
             while (($data = fgetcsv($handle)) !== FALSE ) {
                 $i++;
diff --git a/views/dataset-form-edit.twig b/views/dataset-form-edit.twig
index 9a70fcb8d6..ab59fb4eb4 100644
--- a/views/dataset-form-edit.twig
+++ b/views/dataset-form-edit.twig
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@
                             {{ forms.dropdown("dataConnectorSource", "single", title, dataSet.dataConnectorSource, dataConnectorSources, "id", "name", helpText) }}
                         </div>
 
+                        {% if dataSet.columns|length == 0 %}
+                            {{ forms.message("No columns have been configured for this dataset. Please configure your columns accordingly."|trans, "alert alert-warning") }}
+                        {% endif %}
+
                         {% if dataSet.isActive() %}
                         {{ forms.message("This DataSet has been accessed or updated recently, which means the CMS will keep it active."|trans, "alert alert-success") }}
                         {% endif %}