diff --git a/network/gateway/hostPool.go b/network/gateway/hostPool.go
index 173ca2e2a691f94c0b78d4065e9d3bd9ece7ddda..ad3da5b24194d0f071226fc3536fdc5901e083ca 100644
--- a/network/gateway/hostPool.go
+++ b/network/gateway/hostPool.go
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ func newHostPool(poolParams PoolParams, rng *fastRNG.StreamGenerator, ndf *ndf.N
 
 // UpdateNdf Mutates internal ndf to the given ndf
 func (h *HostPool) UpdateNdf(ndf *ndf.NetworkDefinition) {
+	if len(ndf.Gateways) == 0 {
+		jww.WARN.Printf("Unable to UpdateNdf: no gateways available")
+		return
+	}
+
 	h.ndfMux.Lock()
 	h.ndf = ndf