diff --git a/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main.go b/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main.go
index dd1e2491d5f..a1f329e1148 100644
--- a/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main.go
+++ b/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main.go
@@ -68,7 +68,11 @@ func doOutputChannelCreateTx(conf *genesisconfig.Profile, channelID string, outp
 	}
 
 	if conf.Application == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot define a new channel with no application section")
+		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot define a new channel with no Application section")
+	}
+
+	if conf.Consortium == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot define a new channel with no Consortium section")
 	}
 
 	// XXX we ignore the non-application org names here, once the tool supports configuration updates
diff --git a/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main_test.go b/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main_test.go
index 1b04b1f719e..65fe75e8c14 100644
--- a/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main_test.go
+++ b/common/configtx/tool/configtxgen/main_test.go
@@ -62,6 +62,16 @@ func TestMissingOrdererSection(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, doOutputBlock(config, "foo", blockDest), "Missing orderer section")
 }
 
+func TestMissingConsortiumSection(t *testing.T) {
+	configTxDest := tmpDir + string(os.PathSeparator) + "configtx"
+
+	factory.InitFactories(nil)
+	config := genesisconfig.Load(genesisconfig.SampleSingleMSPChannelProfile)
+	config.Consortium = ""
+
+	assert.Error(t, doOutputChannelCreateTx(config, "foo", configTxDest), "Missing Consortium section in Application Profile definition")
+}
+
 func TestInspectConfigTx(t *testing.T) {
 	configTxDest := tmpDir + string(os.PathSeparator) + "configtx"