diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Definition.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Definition.pm
index fb33d2c60..57b00834c 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Definition.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Definition.pm
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ sub _gen_get {
         my $self = shift;
         if (@_) {
             my $prop = shift;
-            return $self->$prop;
+            if ($self->can($prop)) {
+                return $self->$prop;
+            }
+            return undef;
         }
         my @all_properties = $self->getProperties;
         my %props;
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Definition/Asset.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Definition/Asset.pm
index 8b2920c55..f19dc687f 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Definition/Asset.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Definition/Asset.pm
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 use 5.010;
 use base qw(WebGUI::Definition);
+
 use WebGUI::International;
+use WebGUI::Exception;
 
 our $VERSION = '0.0.1';
 
@@ -29,10 +31,23 @@ sub import {
         return;
     }
     my $definition = (@_ == 1 && ref $_[0]) ? $_[0] : { @_ };
+
+    my $table = $definition->{tableName}
+        || WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(param => 'tableName');
+
     if ( my $properties = $definition->{properties} ) {
-        my $table = $definition->{tableName};
-        for ( my $i = 1; $i < @{ $properties }; $i += 2) {
-            $properties->[$i]{tableName} ||= $table;
+        for ( my $i = 0; $i < $#{ $properties }; $i += 2) {
+            my ($name, $value) = @{ $properties }[$i, $i + 1];
+            $value->{tableName} ||= $table;
+            if ( ! $value->{tableName}|| ref $value->{tableName}) {
+                WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(param => 'tableName');
+            }
+            elsif ( ! $value->{fieldType}  || ref $value->{fieldType}) {
+                WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(param => 'fieldType');
+            }
+            elsif ( ( ! $value->{noFormPost} || ref $value->{noFormPost} ) && ! $value->{label}) {
+                WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(param => 'label');
+            }
         }
     }
     $class->_install($super, 'getTables', $class->_gen_getTables());
diff --git a/t/Definition.t b/t/Definition.t
index d12d511eb..10a875997 100644
--- a/t/Definition.t
+++ b/t/Definition.t
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ use warnings;
 no warnings qw(uninitialized);
 
 use Test::More 'no_plan'; #tests => 1;
+use Test::Exception;
+
 my $called_getProperties;
 {
     package WGT::Class;
@@ -97,6 +99,12 @@ is_deeply $object->get, { property1 => 'property 1 value' },
 is_deeply $subclass_object->get, { property1 => undef, a_property => ' - BLAH', property2 => 'property 2 value' },
     'get returns hash with correct properties';
 
+is $object->get('property1'), 'property 1 value',
+    'get with parameter returns value from accessor';
+
+is $object->get('nonExistantProperty'), undef,
+    'get with non-existant parameter returns undef';
+
 is_deeply $object->getProperty('property1'), { label => 'property1 label', defaultValue => $object },
     'getProperty returns correct hash for object';
 is_deeply $subclass_object->getProperty('property2'), { label => 'property2 label', defaultValue => 'dynamic value' },
diff --git a/t/Definition/Asset.t b/t/Definition/Asset.t
index c61dcf528..cbe8637da 100644
--- a/t/Definition/Asset.t
+++ b/t/Definition/Asset.t
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use FindBin;
 use lib "$FindBin::Bin/../lib";
 
 use Test::More 'no_plan'; #tests => 1;
+use Test::Exception;
 use WebGUI::Test;
 
 {
@@ -25,13 +26,16 @@ use WebGUI::Test;
         tableName => 'mytable',
         properties => [
             showInForms => {
+                fieldType => 'Text',
                 label => ['show in forms'],
             },
             confirmChange => {
+                fieldType => 'Text',
                 label => ['confirm change', 'Asset'],
                 tableName => 'othertable',
             },
             noTrans => {
+                fieldType => 'Text',
                 label => 'this label will not be translated',
             },
         ],
@@ -56,3 +60,64 @@ is $object->getProperty('confirmChange')->{label}, 'Are you sure?',
 is $object->getProperty('noTrans')->{label}, 'this label will not be translated',
     q{getProperty doesn't internationalize plain scalars};
 
+{
+    package WGT::Class2;
+    use Test::Exception;
+    throws_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        properties => [],
+    ) } 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'Exception thrown when no tableName specified';
+    throws_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        tableName => 'mytable',
+        properties => [
+            'property1' => {
+                label => 'label',
+            },
+        ],
+    ) } 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'Exception thrown when no fieldType specified';
+    throws_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        tableName => 'mytable',
+        properties => [
+            'property1' => {
+                fieldType => sub { return 'Text' },
+                label => 'label',
+            },
+        ],
+    ) } 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'Exception thrown when dynamic fieldType specified';
+    throws_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        tableName => 'mytable',
+        properties => [
+            'property1' => {
+                tableName => sub { return 'othertable' },
+                fieldType => 'Text',
+                label => 'label',
+            },
+        ],
+    ) } 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'Exception thrown when dynamic tableName specified';
+    throws_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        tableName => 'mytable',
+        properties => [
+            'property1' => {
+                fieldType => 'Text',
+            },
+        ],
+    ) } 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'Exception thrown when no label specified';
+    throws_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        tableName => 'mytable',
+        properties => [
+            'property1' => {
+                fieldType => 'Text',
+                noFormPost => sub { 1 },
+            },
+        ],
+    ) } 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'Exception thrown when no label and noFormPost is dynamic';
+    lives_ok { WebGUI::Definition::Asset->import(
+        tableName => 'mytable',
+        properties => [
+            'property1' => {
+                fieldType => 'Text',
+                noFormPost => 1,
+            },
+        ],
+    ) } 'Allows no label when noFormPost specified';
+}
+