diff --git a/__tests__/themeFunction.test.js b/__tests__/themeFunction.test.js
index d795a44ddd84..4cfdc0800110 100644
--- a/__tests__/themeFunction.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/themeFunction.test.js
@@ -110,6 +110,61 @@ test('an unquoted list is valid as a default value', () => {
   })
 })
 
+test('A missing root theme value throws', () => {
+  const input = `
+    .heading { color: theme('colours.gray.100'); }
+  `
+
+  return expect(
+    run(input, {
+      theme: {
+        colors: {
+          yellow: '#f7cc50',
+        },
+      },
+    })
+  ).rejects.toThrowError(
+    '"colours.gray.100" does not exist in your tailwind theme.\nValid keys for "theme" are: "colors"'
+  )
+})
+
+test('A missing nested theme property throws', () => {
+  const input = `
+    .heading { color: theme('colors.red'); }
+  `
+
+  return expect(
+    run(input, {
+      theme: {
+        colors: {
+          blue: 'blue',
+          yellow: '#f7cc50',
+        },
+      },
+    })
+  ).rejects.toThrowError(
+    '"colors.red" does not exist in your tailwind theme.\nValid keys for "colors" are: "blue", "yellow"'
+  )
+})
+
+test('A path through a non-object throws', () => {
+  const input = `
+    .heading { color: theme('colors.yellow.100'); }
+  `
+
+  return expect(
+    run(input, {
+      theme: {
+        colors: {
+          yellow: '#f7cc50',
+        },
+      },
+    })
+  ).rejects.toThrowError(
+    '"colors.yellow.100" does not exist in your tailwind theme.\n"colors.yellow" exists but is not an object'
+  )
+})
+
 test('array values are joined by default', () => {
   const input = `
     .heading { font-family: theme('fontFamily.sans'); }
diff --git a/src/lib/evaluateTailwindFunctions.js b/src/lib/evaluateTailwindFunctions.js
index 80333456e79d..bf3f95e38eb5 100644
--- a/src/lib/evaluateTailwindFunctions.js
+++ b/src/lib/evaluateTailwindFunctions.js
@@ -1,6 +1,34 @@
 import _ from 'lodash'
 import functions from 'postcss-functions'
 
+function findClosestExistingPath(theme, path) {
+  const parts = _.toPath(path)
+  do {
+    parts.pop()
+
+    if (_.hasIn(theme, parts)) break
+  } while (parts.length)
+
+  return parts
+}
+
+function buildError(root, theme, path) {
+  const closestPath = findClosestExistingPath(theme, path).join('.') || 'theme'
+  const closestValue = _.get(theme, closestPath, theme)
+
+  let message = `"${path}" does not exist in your tailwind theme.\n`
+
+  if (typeof closestValue === 'object') {
+    message += `Valid keys for "${closestPath}" are: ${Object.keys(closestValue)
+      .map(k => `"${k}"`)
+      .join(', ')}`
+  } else {
+    message += `"${closestPath}" exists but is not an object.`
+  }
+
+  return root.error(message)
+}
+
 const themeTransforms = {
   fontSize(value) {
     return Array.isArray(value) ? value[0] : value
@@ -12,16 +40,22 @@ function defaultTransform(value) {
 }
 
 export default function(config) {
-  return functions({
-    functions: {
-      theme: (path, ...defaultValue) => {
-        const trimmedPath = _.trim(path, `'"`)
-        return _.thru(_.get(config.theme, trimmedPath, defaultValue), value => {
-          const [themeSection] = trimmedPath.split('.')
-
-          return _.get(themeTransforms, themeSection, defaultTransform)(value)
-        })
+  return root =>
+    functions({
+      functions: {
+        theme: (path, ...defaultValue) => {
+          const trimmedPath = _.trim(path, `'"`)
+
+          if (!defaultValue.length && !_.hasIn(config.theme, trimmedPath)) {
+            throw buildError(root, config.theme, trimmedPath)
+          }
+
+          return _.thru(_.get(config.theme, trimmedPath, defaultValue), value => {
+            const [themeSection] = trimmedPath.split('.')
+
+            return _.get(themeTransforms, themeSection, defaultTransform)(value)
+          })
+        },
       },
-    },
-  })
+    })(root)
 }