diff --git a/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParser.java b/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParser.java
index 24a5def53..bcec58386 100644
--- a/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParser.java
+++ b/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParser.java
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@
 
 package io.nosqlbench.engine.core.lifecycle.session;
 
+import io.nosqlbench.adapter.diag.DriverAdapterLoader;
 import io.nosqlbench.engine.cmdstream.Cmd;
 import io.nosqlbench.engine.cmdstream.CmdArg;
+import io.nosqlbench.nb.annotations.ServiceSelector;
 import io.nosqlbench.nb.api.errors.BasicError;
 
 import java.util.*;
@@ -75,6 +77,14 @@ public class CmdParser {
                     if (params.containsKey(param.name())) {
                         throw new BasicError("Duplicate occurrence of option: " + param.name());
                     }
+                    if (Objects.equals(param.name(), "driver")) {
+                        String driverName = param.value();
+                        Optional<? extends DriverAdapterLoader> driverAdapter =
+                            ServiceSelector.of(driverName, ServiceLoader.load(DriverAdapterLoader.class)).get();
+                        if (driverAdapter.isEmpty()) {
+                            throw new BasicError("Unable to load default driver adapter '" + driverName + '\'');
+                        }
+                    }
                     params.put(param.name(),CmdArg.of(cmd.name(),param.name(),param.op(),param.value()));
                 }
                 cmds.add(new Cmd(cmd.name(),params));
diff --git a/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParserTest.java b/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParserTest.java
index 59f846fef..949039b2b 100644
--- a/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParserTest.java
+++ b/nb-engine/nb-engine-core/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/core/lifecycle/session/CmdParserTest.java
@@ -106,4 +106,11 @@ class CmdParserTest {
             .withMessageContaining("Duplicate occurrence of option: threads");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testNonExistentDriverThrowsError() {
+        assertThatExceptionOfType(BasicError.class)
+            .isThrownBy(() -> CmdParser.parseArgvCommands(new LinkedList<>(List.of("run", "driver=nonexistant"))))
+            .withMessageContaining("Unable to load default driver adapter 'nonexistant'");
+    }
+
 }