diff --git a/lib/Jexl.js b/lib/Jexl.js
index 14fc6ce0..897bbd00 100644
--- a/lib/Jexl.js
+++ b/lib/Jexl.js
@@ -14,10 +14,11 @@ var Evaluator = require("./evaluator/Evaluator"),
  * xpath-like drilldown into native Javascript objects.
  * @constructor
  */
-function Jexl() {
+function Jexl(throwOnMissingProp = false) {
   this._customGrammar = null;
   this._lexer = null;
   this._transforms = {};
+  this._throwOnMissingProp = throwOnMissingProp;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/evaluator/handlers.js b/lib/evaluator/handlers.js
index 5ffe32bb..b4167301 100644
--- a/lib/evaluator/handlers.js
+++ b/lib/evaluator/handlers.js
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ exports.FilterExpression = function(ast) {
 exports.Identifier = function(ast) {
   if (ast.from) {
     return this.eval(ast.from).then(function(context) {
+      if (
+        this._throwOnMissingProp &&
+        !Object.hasOwnProperty(context, ast.value)
+      ) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `property does not have an identifier named ${ast.value}`
+        );
+      }
       if (Array.isArray(context)) context = context[0];
       if (context === undefined) return undefined;
       return context[ast.value];