diff --git a/src/outlines.js b/src/outlines.js
index 204ab60..3bc1197 100644
--- a/src/outlines.js
+++ b/src/outlines.js
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ exports.parse = (config = {}, points = {}) => {
 
     const outlines = {}
 
-    const ex = a.sane(config.exports, 'outlines.exports', 'object')
+    const ex = a.sane(config.exports || {}, 'outlines.exports', 'object')
     for (let [key, parts] of Object.entries(ex)) {
         parts = a.inherit('outlines.exports', key, ex)
         let result = {models: {}}
diff --git a/src/pcbs.js b/src/pcbs.js
index 93b19c5..959be8e 100644
--- a/src/pcbs.js
+++ b/src/pcbs.js
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ const footprint = exports._footprint = (config, name, points, point, net_indexer
 
 exports.parse = (config, points, outlines) => {
 
-    const pcbs = a.sane(config, 'pcbs', 'object')
+    const pcbs = a.sane(config || {}, 'pcbs', 'object')
     const results = {}
 
     for (const [pcb_name, pcb_config] of Object.entries(pcbs)) {
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ exports.parse = (config, points, outlines) => {
         a.detect_unexpected(pcb_config, `pcbs.${pcb_name}`, ['outlines', 'footprints'])
 
         // outline conversion
-        const config_outlines = a.sane(pcb_config.outlines, `pcbs.${pcb_name}.outlines`, 'object')
+        const config_outlines = a.sane(pcb_config.outlines || {}, `pcbs.${pcb_name}.outlines`, 'object')
         const kicad_outlines = {}
         for (const [outline_name, outline] of Object.entries(config_outlines)) {
             const ref = a.in(outline.outline, `pcbs.${pcb_name}.outlines.${outline_name}.outline`, Object.keys(outlines))