diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/InitConfig/FoamConfig.cpp b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/InitConfig/FoamConfig.cpp
index 1cfddf659..c18067768 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/InitConfig/FoamConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/InitConfig/FoamConfig.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Deck/DeckItem.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Deck/DeckKeyword.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Deck/DeckRecord.hpp>
+#include <opm/common/utility/OpmInputError.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/EclipseState/InitConfig/FoamConfig.hpp>
 #include <opm/parser/eclipse/Parser/ParserKeywords/F.hpp>
 
@@ -132,25 +133,19 @@ FoamConfig::FoamConfig(const Deck& deck)
         // setup for foam at this point, so we detect and deal with it here even though we
         // do not store any data related to it.
         const auto& kw_foamopts = deck.getKeyword<ParserKeywords::FOAMOPTS>();
-        transport_phase_ = get_phase(kw_foamopts.getRecord(0).getItem(0).get<std::string>(0));
-        std::string mobModel = kw_foamopts.getRecord(0).getItem(1).get<std::string>(0);
-        if (mobModel.empty()) {
-            if (transport_phase_ == Phase::GAS) {
-                mobility_model_ = MobilityModel::TAB;
-            } else if (transport_phase_ == Phase::WATER) {
-                mobility_model_ = MobilityModel::FUNC;
-            }
-        } else if (mobModel == "TAB") {
-            mobility_model_ = MobilityModel::TAB;
-        } else if (mobModel == "FUNC") {
-            mobility_model_ = MobilityModel::FUNC;
+        this->transport_phase_ = get_phase(kw_foamopts.getRecord(0).getItem(0).get<std::string>(0));
+        if (!(this->transport_phase_ == Phase::GAS || this->transport_phase_ == Phase::WATER))
+            throw OpmInputError("Only WATER and GAS phases are allowed for foam transport", kw_foamopts.location());
+
+        this->mobility_model_ = MobilityModel::TAB;
+        if (this->transport_phase_ == Phase::WATER) {
+            auto mobModel = kw_foamopts.getRecord(0).getItem(1).get<std::string>(0);
+            if (mobModel == "FUNC")
+                this->mobility_model_ = MobilityModel::FUNC;
         }
     }
+
     if (deck.hasKeyword<ParserKeywords::FOAMFSC>()) {
-        if (!deck.hasKeyword<ParserKeywords::FOAMROCK>()) {
-            throw std::runtime_error("FOAMFSC present but no FOAMROCK keyword found.");
-        }
-        // We have both FOAMFSC and FOAMROCK.
         const auto& kw_foamfsc = deck.getKeyword<ParserKeywords::FOAMFSC>();
         const auto& kw_foamrock = deck.getKeyword<ParserKeywords::FOAMROCK>();
         if (kw_foamfsc.size() != kw_foamrock.size()) {
diff --git a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/share/keywords/000_Eclipse100/F/FOAMFSC b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/share/keywords/000_Eclipse100/F/FOAMFSC
index 41059adfa..a79707cb9 100644
--- a/src/opm/parser/eclipse/share/keywords/000_Eclipse100/F/FOAMFSC
+++ b/src/opm/parser/eclipse/share/keywords/000_Eclipse100/F/FOAMFSC
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   "sections": [
     "PROPS"
   ],
+  "requires" : ["FOAMROCK"],
   "size": {
     "keyword": "TABDIMS",
     "item": "NTSFUN"
diff --git a/tests/parser/FoamTests.cpp b/tests/parser/FoamTests.cpp
index dcaab01d8..3b193bcfc 100644
--- a/tests/parser/FoamTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/parser/FoamTests.cpp
@@ -82,15 +82,16 @@ PROPS
 FOAMOPTS
 GAS TAB /
 
+FOAMROCK
+1 2000 /
+2 1800 /
+2 2400 /
+
 FOAMFSC
 1 2 0.3 /
 4 5 /
 6 /
 
-FOAMROCK
-1 2000 /
-2 1800 /
-2 2400 /
 
 REGIONS
 SWAT
@@ -194,7 +195,6 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(FoamConfigTest) {
 }
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(FoamConfigFailureTest) {
-    auto deck = createFailingDeck();
-    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(EclipseState state(deck), std::runtime_error);
+    BOOST_CHECK_THROW( createFailingDeck(), std::exception );
 }