diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/http/websocketx/sslserver/WebSocketSslServer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/http/websocketx/sslserver/WebSocketSslServer.java
index 3fe4a60c5e..9915e7c35e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/http/websocketx/sslserver/WebSocketSslServer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/example/http/websocketx/sslserver/WebSocketSslServer.java
@@ -59,6 +59,18 @@ public class WebSocketSslServer {
 		Logger.getLogger("").addHandler(ch);
 		Logger.getLogger("").setLevel(Level.FINE);
 		
+		String keyStoreFilePath = System.getProperty("keystore.file.path");
+		if (keyStoreFilePath == null || keyStoreFilePath.isEmpty()) {
+			System.out.println("ERROR: System property keystore.file.path not set. Exiting now!");
+			System.exit(1);
+		}
+		
+		String keyStoreFilePassword = System.getProperty("keystore.file.password");
+		if (keyStoreFilePassword == null || keyStoreFilePassword.isEmpty()) {
+			System.out.println("ERROR: System property keystore.file.password not set. Exiting now!");
+			System.exit(1);
+		}
+
 		// Configure the server.
 		ServerBootstrap bootstrap = new ServerBootstrap(new NioServerSocketChannelFactory(
 				Executors.newCachedThreadPool(), Executors.newCachedThreadPool()));