diff --git a/src/AutoPilotPlugins/AutoPilotPluginManager.cc b/src/AutoPilotPlugins/AutoPilotPluginManager.cc
index 097198218d7ba6feaff553a04757aefc9ada1651..624f0073806fc060cdaa7450ed550654f6ce2b7d 100644
--- a/src/AutoPilotPlugins/AutoPilotPluginManager.cc
+++ b/src/AutoPilotPlugins/AutoPilotPluginManager.cc
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ void AutoPilotPluginManager::_uasDeleted(UASInterface* uas)
     int uasId = uas->getUASID();
     Q_ASSERT(uasId != 0);
     
-    Q_ASSERT(_pluginMap.contains(autopilotType));
-    Q_ASSERT(_pluginMap[autopilotType].contains(uasId));
-    delete _pluginMap[autopilotType][uasId];
-    _pluginMap[autopilotType].remove(uasId);
+    if (_pluginMap.contains(autopilotType) && _pluginMap[autopilotType].contains(uasId)) {
+        delete _pluginMap[autopilotType][uasId];
+        _pluginMap[autopilotType].remove(uasId);
+    }
 }
 
 AutoPilotPlugin* AutoPilotPluginManager::getInstanceForAutoPilotPlugin(UASInterface* uas)
diff --git a/src/FactSystem/FactBinder.cc b/src/FactSystem/FactBinder.cc
index f16350ade727c41dc72b9b5ef29c729bf25cb021..d0979c390974ef87f6a266f792f75f006b8d6b2d 100644
--- a/src/FactSystem/FactBinder.cc
+++ b/src/FactSystem/FactBinder.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include "FactBinder.h"
 #include "UASManager.h"
 #include "AutoPilotPluginManager.h"
+#include "QGCApplication.h"
+
 #include <QDebug>
 
 FactBinder::FactBinder(void) :
@@ -83,8 +85,8 @@ void FactBinder::setName(const QString& name)
             emit nameChanged();
 			emit metaDataChanged();
 		} else {
-            qWarning() << "FAILED BINDING PARAM" << name << ": PARAM DOES NOT EXIST ON SYSTEM!";
-            Q_ASSERT(false);
+            QString panicMessage("Required parameter (component id: %1, name: %2),  is missing from vehicle. QGroundControl cannot operate with this firmware revision. QGroundControl will now shut down.");
+            qgcApp()->panicShutdown(panicMessage.arg(_componentId).arg(parsedName));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/FactSystem/ParameterLoader.cc b/src/FactSystem/ParameterLoader.cc
index c27fb70085a5b7d4936e93c18c3d225274cfa748..c1a5da25196843d187fb3eba41e5bb4e40a7f551 100644
--- a/src/FactSystem/ParameterLoader.cc
+++ b/src/FactSystem/ParameterLoader.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "ParameterLoader.h"
 #include "QGCApplication.h"
 #include "QGCLoggingCategory.h"
+#include "QGCApplication.h"
 
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QDebug>
@@ -268,8 +269,12 @@ bool ParameterLoader::parameterExists(int componentId, const QString&  name)
 Fact* ParameterLoader::getFact(int componentId, const QString& name)
 {
     componentId = _actualComponentId(componentId);
-    Q_ASSERT(_mapParameterName2Variant.contains(componentId));
-    Q_ASSERT(_mapParameterName2Variant[componentId].contains(name));
+    
+    if (!_mapParameterName2Variant.contains(componentId) || !_mapParameterName2Variant[componentId].contains(name)) {
+        QString panicMessage("Required parameter (component id: %1, name: %2),  is missing from vehicle. QGroundControl cannot operate with this firmware revision. QGroundControl will now shut down.");
+        qgcApp()->panicShutdown(panicMessage.arg(componentId).arg(name));
+    }
+    
     Fact* fact = _mapParameterName2Variant[componentId][name].value<Fact*>();
     Q_ASSERT(fact);
     return fact;
diff --git a/src/QGCApplication.cc b/src/QGCApplication.cc
index 7b76300f5481d808e79c9f61578eed6b77ace191..b9ad6c733f3838221490bf311adf06b2450074b4 100644
--- a/src/QGCApplication.cc
+++ b/src/QGCApplication.cc
@@ -635,3 +635,9 @@ void QGCApplication::_reconnect(void)
     LinkManager::instance()->createConnectedLink(_reconnectLinkConfig);
     _reconnectLinkConfig = NULL;
 }
+
+void QGCApplication::panicShutdown(const QString& panicMessage)
+{
+    QGCMessageBox::critical("Panic Shutdown", panicMessage);
+    ::exit(0);
+}
diff --git a/src/QGCApplication.h b/src/QGCApplication.h
index 8bd84b55d7eb489d3adfe58526cae174c3f760a6..695d3d7d404ed73797d96cb6bef4f486b0d1019a 100644
--- a/src/QGCApplication.h
+++ b/src/QGCApplication.h
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ public:
     /// Disconnects the current link and waits for the specified number of seconds before reconnecting.
     void reconnectAfterWait(int waitSeconds);
     
+    /// Used to shutdown the app if a fatal condition occurs from which it cannot recover
+    ///     @param panicMessage Message to display to user
+    void panicShutdown(const QString& panicMessage);
+    
 public slots:
     /// You can connect to this slot to show an information message box from a different thread.
     void informationMessageBoxOnMainThread(const QString& title, const QString& msg);