diff --git a/types/types_xcpot_libxc.F90 b/types/types_xcpot_libxc.F90
index 9d4ccc9f3e74875e4d81cd1dfcc94d1ae8073f0b..2a93d22536f2ae0702010eeec017acb8b3039939 100644
--- a/types/types_xcpot_libxc.F90
+++ b/types/types_xcpot_libxc.F90
@@ -44,7 +44,15 @@ CONTAINS
     xcpot%jspins=jspins
     xcpot%func_id_x=id_x
     xcpot%func_id_c=id_c
- 
+
+    if(xcpot%func_id_x == 0 .or. xcpot%func_id_c == 0) then
+      CALL judft_error("LibXC exchange- and correlation-function indicies need to be set"&
+       ,hint='Try this: ' // ACHAR(10) //&
+              '<xcFunctional name="libxc" relativisticCorrections="F">' // ACHAR(10) //& 
+              '  <libXC  exchange="1" correlation="1" /> &' // ACHAR(10) //& 
+              '</xcFunctional> ')
+    endif 
+
     IF (jspins==1) THEN
        CALL xc_f03_func_init(xcpot%xc_func_x, xcpot%func_id_x, XC_UNPOLARIZED)
        IF (xcpot%func_id_c>0) CALL xc_f03_func_init(xcpot%xc_func_c, xcpot%func_id_c, XC_UNPOLARIZED)