diff --git a/Code/Learning/otbSVMClassifier.txx b/Code/Learning/otbSVMClassifier.txx
index 08257025ee974f85e0dd1648632f77c6b18782af..5643f7a13b2134d611ab50a47b74bf63b6ece678 100644
--- a/Code/Learning/otbSVMClassifier.txx
+++ b/Code/Learning/otbSVMClassifier.txx
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ void
 SVMClassifier< TSample, TLabel >
 ::GenerateData()
 {
+  if(m_Model->GetNumberOfSupportVectors() == 0)
+    {
+    itkExceptionMacro(<<"SVM model does not contain any support vector, can not perform classification.");
+    }
+
 
   m_Output->SetSample(this->GetSample());
   otbMsgDevMacro(  << "m_Output " << m_Output );