diff --git a/invisible_cities/cities/components.py b/invisible_cities/cities/components.py
index 3292b183e..de2628b7a 100644
--- a/invisible_cities/cities/components.py
+++ b/invisible_cities/cities/components.py
@@ -118,13 +118,18 @@ def proxy(**kwds):
         if isinstance(conf.files_in, str):
             conf.files_in = [conf.files_in]
 
-        globbed_files = map(glob, map(expandvars, conf.files_in))
-        globbed_files = list(f for fs in globbed_files for f in fs)
-        if len(set(globbed_files)) != len(globbed_files):
+        input_files = []
+        for pattern in map(expandvars, conf.files_in):
+            globbed_files = glob(pattern)
+            if len(globbed_files) == 0:
+                raise FileNotFoundError(f"Input pattern {pattern} did not match any files.")
+            input_files.extend(globbed_files)
+
+        if len(set(input_files)) != len(input_files):
             warnings.warn("files_in contains repeated values. Ignoring duplicate files.", UserWarning)
-            globbed_files = [f for i, f in enumerate(globbed_files) if f not in globbed_files[:i]]
+            input_files = [f for i, f in enumerate(input_files) if f not in input_files[:i]]
 
-        conf.files_in = globbed_files
+        conf.files_in = input_files
         conf.file_out = expandvars(conf.file_out)
 
         conf.event_range  = event_range(conf)
diff --git a/invisible_cities/cities/components_test.py b/invisible_cities/cities/components_test.py
index 449663aed..d9727c876 100644
--- a/invisible_cities/cities/components_test.py
+++ b/invisible_cities/cities/components_test.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from .. core.configure     import configure
 from .. core.exceptions    import InvalidInputFileStructure
 from .. core.exceptions    import          SensorIDMismatch
+from .. core.exceptions    import              NoInputFiles
 from .. core.testing_utils import    assert_tables_equality
 from .. core               import system_of_units as units
 from .. types.symbols      import WfType
@@ -183,6 +184,22 @@ def dummy_city( files_in    : Union[str, list]
     assert result == files_in
 
 
+def test_city_fails_if_bad_input_file(config_tmpdir, ICDATADIR):
+    file_ok  = os.path.join(ICDATADIR, "electrons_40keV_z25_RWF.h5") # any file will do
+    file_bad = "/this/file/does/not/exist.h5"
+    files_in = [file_ok, file_bad]
+    file_out = os.path.join(config_tmpdir, "test_city_fails_if_bad_input_file.h5")
+
+    @city
+    def dummy_city( files_in    : Union[str, list]
+                  , file_out    : str
+                  , event_range : tuple):
+        pass
+
+    with raises(FileNotFoundError):
+        dummy_city(files_in=files_in, file_out=file_out, event_range=(0, 1))
+
+
 def test_compute_xy_position_depends_on_actual_run_number():
     """
     The channels entering the reco algorithm are the ones in a square of 3x3
diff --git a/invisible_cities/config/beersheba.conf b/invisible_cities/config/beersheba.conf
index 5498b16ca..a23ee5244 100644
--- a/invisible_cities/config/beersheba.conf
+++ b/invisible_cities/config/beersheba.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-files_in = '$ICDIR/database/test_data/Tl208_NEW_v1_03_01_nexus_v5_03_04_cut144.tracks_10000.root.h5'
+files_in = '$ICDIR/database/test_data/228Th_10evt_hits.h5'
 file_out = '$ICDIR/database/test_data/test_beersheba.h5'
 compression = 'ZLIB4'
 event_range=10
diff --git a/invisible_cities/config/isaura.conf b/invisible_cities/config/isaura.conf
index 967c46889..4edc64db7 100644
--- a/invisible_cities/config/isaura.conf
+++ b/invisible_cities/config/isaura.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-files_in = '$ICDIR/database/test_data/test_beersheba.h5'
+files_in = '$ICDIR/database/test_data/exact_Kr_deconvolution_with_MC.h5'
 file_out = '/tmp/decoTopology.h5'
 compression = 'ZLIB4'
 event_range=1000
diff --git a/invisible_cities/io/indexation_test.py b/invisible_cities/io/indexation_test.py
index 3ed2989e9..c1029ff1c 100644
--- a/invisible_cities/io/indexation_test.py
+++ b/invisible_cities/io/indexation_test.py
@@ -41,10 +41,11 @@ def _df_writer(h5out):
                    (   pmap_writer, "PMAPS", "S2"      , "event", "s2"  ),
                    (   pmap_writer, "PMAPS", "S2Si"    , "event", "s2si"),
                    (    _df_writer, "DUMMY", "dummy"   , "event", 'df'  )])
-def test_table_is_indexed(tmpdir_factory, writer, group, node, column, thing):
-    tmpdir = tmpdir_factory.mktemp('indexation')
-    file_out = os.path.join(tmpdir, f"empty_table_containing_{thing}.h5")
-    writer_test_city(writer=writer, file_out=file_out, files_in='dummy', detector_db = 'new')
+def test_table_is_indexed(tmpdir_factory, ICDATADIR, writer, group, node, column, thing):
+    tmpdir      = tmpdir_factory.mktemp('indexation')
+    file_out    = os.path.join(tmpdir, f"empty_table_containing_{thing}.h5")
+    dummy_files = os.path.join(ICDATADIR, "*.h5")
+    writer_test_city(writer=writer, file_out=file_out, files_in=dummy_files, detector_db = 'new')
     with tb.open_file(file_out, 'r') as h5out:
         table = getattr(getattr(h5out.root, group), node)
         assert getattr(table.cols, column).is_indexed