diff --git a/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js b/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
index 233b1a49..14fae2e3 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ o._checkInvalidTemplate = function(template) {
     return new Error("Invalid characters in template name '" + tplname + "'");
   }
 
+  var invalidError = isInvalidLayergroup(template.layergroup);
+  if (invalidError) {
+    return invalidError;
+  }
+
   var placeholders = template.placeholders || {};
 
   var placeholderKeys = Object.keys(placeholders);
@@ -142,6 +147,32 @@ o._checkInvalidTemplate = function(template) {
     return false;
 };
 
+function isInvalidLayergroup(layergroup) {
+    if (!layergroup) {
+        return new Error('Missing layergroup');
+    }
+
+    var layers = layergroup.layers;
+
+    if (!_.isArray(layers) || layers.length === 0) {
+        return new Error('Missing or empty layers array from layergroup config');
+    }
+
+    var invalidLayers = layers
+        .map(function(layer, layerIndex) {
+            return layer.options ? null : layerIndex;
+        })
+        .filter(function(layerIndex) {
+            return layerIndex !== null;
+        });
+
+    if (invalidLayers.length) {
+        return new Error('Missing `options` in layergroup config for layers: ' + invalidLayers.join(', '));
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}
+
 function templateDefaults(template) {
     var templateAuth = _.defaults({}, template.auth || {}, {
         method: 'open'
diff --git a/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps.test.js b/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps.test.js
index 6abda6e3..f92999cc 100644
--- a/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps.test.js
@@ -12,11 +12,23 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
   // configure redis pool instance to use in tests
   var redis_pool = RedisPool(global.environment.redis);
 
+    var wadusLayer = {
+        options: {
+            sql: 'select 1 cartodb_id, null::geometry the_geom_webmercator',
+            cartocss: '#layer { marker-fill:blue; }',
+            cartocss_version: '2.3.0'
+        }
+    };
+
     var validTemplate = {
         version:'0.0.1',
         name: 'first',
         auth: {},
-        layergroup: {}
+        layergroup: {
+            layers: [
+                wadusLayer
+            ]
+        }
     };
     var owner = 'me';
     
@@ -24,7 +36,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     var tmap = new TemplateMaps(redis_pool);
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'6.6.6',
-      name:'k', auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      name:'k', auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     Step(
       function() {
         tmap.addTemplate('me', tpl, this);
@@ -44,7 +56,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     var tmap = new TemplateMaps(redis_pool);
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
-      auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     Step(
       function() {
         tmap.addTemplate('me', tpl, this);
@@ -64,7 +76,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     var tmap = new TemplateMaps(redis_pool);
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
-      auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     var invalidnames = [ "ab|", "a b", "a@b", "1ab", "_x", "", " x", "x " ];
     var testNext = function() {
       if ( ! invalidnames.length ) { done(); return; }
@@ -91,7 +103,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
       name: "valid", placeholders: {},
-      auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     var invalidnames = [ "ab|", "a b", "a@b", "1ab", "_x", "", " x", "x " ];
     var testNext = function() {
       if ( ! invalidnames.length ) { done(); return; }
@@ -119,7 +131,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
       name: "valid", placeholders: { v: {} },
-      auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     tmap.addTemplate('me', tpl, function(err) {
         if ( ! err ) {
           done(new Error("Unexpected success with missing placeholder default"));
@@ -139,7 +151,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
       name: "valid", placeholders: { v: { default:1 } },
-      auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     tmap.addTemplate('me', tpl, function(err) {
         if ( ! err ) {
           done(new Error("Unexpected success with missing placeholder type"));
@@ -161,7 +173,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
       name: "invalid_auth1", placeholders: { },
-      auth: { method: 'token' }, layergroup: {} };
+      auth: { method: 'token' }, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     tmap.addTemplate('me', tpl, function(err) {
         if ( ! err ) {
           done(new Error("Unexpected success with invalid token auth (undefined tokens)"));
@@ -182,7 +194,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     var expected_failure = false;
     var tpl_id;
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
-      name: 'first', auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+      name: 'first', auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     Step(
       function() {
         tmap.addTemplate('me', tpl, this);
@@ -216,9 +228,9 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     var tmap = new TemplateMaps(redis_pool);
     assert.ok(tmap);
     var expected_failure = false;
-    var tpl1 = { version:'0.0.1', name: 'first', auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+    var tpl1 = { version:'0.0.1', name: 'first', auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     var tpl1_id;
-    var tpl2 = { version:'0.0.1', name: 'second', auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+    var tpl2 = { version:'0.0.1', name: 'second', auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     var tpl2_id;
     Step(
       function addTemplate1() {
@@ -279,7 +291,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
     var tpl = { version:'0.0.1',
       name: 'first',
       auth: { method: 'open' },
-      layergroup: {}
+      layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]}
     };
     var tpl_id;
     Step(
@@ -434,7 +446,7 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
       max_user_templates: 2
     });
     assert.ok(tmap);
-    var tpl = { version:'0.0.1', auth: {}, layergroup: {} };
+    var tpl = { version:'0.0.1', auth: {}, layergroup: {layers:[wadusLayer]} };
     var expectErr = false;
     var idMe = [];
     var idYou = [];
diff --git a/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps_defaults.test.js b/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps_defaults.test.js
index a8f8acfb..848c4aac 100644
--- a/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps_defaults.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/cartodb/template_maps_defaults.test.js
@@ -17,7 +17,15 @@ suite('template_maps', function() {
         version:'0.0.1',
         name: templateName,
         layergroup: {
-            layers: []
+            layers: [
+                {
+                    options: {
+                        sql: 'select 1 cartodb_id, null::geometry the_geom_webmercator',
+                        cartocss: '#layer { marker-fill:blue; }',
+                        cartocss_version: '2.3.0'
+                    }
+                }
+            ]
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/test/unit/cartodb/valid_template_maps.test.js b/test/unit/cartodb/valid_template_maps.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09dab17c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/cartodb/valid_template_maps.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+var assert = require('assert');
+var RedisPool = require('redis-mpool');
+var TemplateMaps = require('../../../lib/cartodb/template_maps.js');
+var test_helper = require('../../support/test_helper');
+var _ = require('underscore');
+
+suite('template_maps', function() {
+
+    var redisPool = new RedisPool(global.environment.redis),
+        templateMaps = new TemplateMaps(redisPool);
+
+    var owner = 'me';
+    var templateName = 'wadus';
+
+
+    var defaultTemplate = {
+        version:'0.0.1',
+        name: templateName
+    };
+
+    function makeTemplate(layers) {
+        var layergroup = {
+            layers: layers
+        };
+        return _.extend({}, defaultTemplate, {
+            layergroup: layergroup
+        });
+    }
+
+    var layerWithMissingOptions = {},
+        minimumValidLayer = {
+            options: {
+                sql: 'select 1 cartodb_id, null::geometry the_geom_webmercator',
+                cartocss: '#layer { marker-fill:blue; }',
+                cartocss_version: '2.3.0'
+            }
+        };
+
+    var testScenarios = [
+        {
+            desc: 'Missing layers array does not validate',
+            template: makeTemplate(),
+            expected: {
+                isValid: false,
+                message: 'Missing or empty layers array from layergroup config'
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            desc: 'Empty layers array does not validate',
+            template: makeTemplate([]),
+            expected: {
+                isValid: false,
+                message: 'Missing or empty layers array from layergroup config'
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            desc: 'Layer with missing options does not validate',
+            template: makeTemplate([
+                layerWithMissingOptions
+            ]),
+            expected: {
+                isValid: false,
+                message: 'Missing `options` in layergroup config for layers: 0'
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            desc: 'Multiple layers report invalid layer',
+            template: makeTemplate([
+                minimumValidLayer,
+                layerWithMissingOptions
+            ]),
+            expected: {
+                isValid: false,
+                message: 'Missing `options` in layergroup config for layers: 1'
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            desc: 'default auth but specified placeholders',
+            template: makeTemplate([
+                minimumValidLayer
+            ]),
+            expected: {
+                isValid: true,
+                message: ''
+            }
+        }
+    ];
+
+    testScenarios.forEach(function(testScenario) {
+        test(testScenario.desc, function(done) {
+
+            templateMaps.addTemplate(owner, testScenario.template, function(err) {
+
+                if (testScenario.expected.isValid) {
+
+                    assert.ok(!err);
+                    templateMaps.delTemplate(owner, templateName, done);
+
+                } else {
+
+                    assert.ok(err);
+                    assert.equal(err.message, testScenario.expected.message);
+                    done();
+
+                }
+
+            });
+
+        });
+    });
+
+});