diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b367b18b..eaea15b5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 - Upgrade to Python 3.10 and Sphinx 4.2.0 - [#501](https://github.com/jertel/elastalert2/pull/501) - @jertel
 - max_scrolling_count now has a default value of 990 to avoid stack overflow crashes - [#509](https://github.com/jertel/elastalert2/pull/509) - @jertel
 - Update pytest 6.2.5, pytest-cov 3.0.0, pytest-xdist 2.4.0, pylint<2.12, tox 3.24.4 - [#511](https://github.com/jertel/elastalert2/pull/511) - @nsano-rururu
+- Added a check on the value of the path "rules_folder" to make sure it exists - [#519](https://github.com/jertel/elastalert2/pull/519) - @AntoineBlaud
 
 # 2.2.2
 
diff --git a/elastalert/loaders.py b/elastalert/loaders.py
index 218c4080..eb20fca0 100644
--- a/elastalert/loaders.py
+++ b/elastalert/loaders.py
@@ -552,6 +552,8 @@ def get_names(self, conf, use_rule=None):
         rule_files = []
         if 'scan_subdirectories' in conf and conf['scan_subdirectories']:
             for ruledir in rule_folders:
+                if not os.path.exists(ruledir):
+                    raise EAException('Specified rule_folder does not exist: %s ' % ruledir)
                 for root, folders, files in os.walk(ruledir, followlinks=True):
                     # Openshift/k8s configmap fix for ..data and ..2021_05..date directories that loop with os.walk()
                     folders[:] = [d for d in folders if not d.startswith('..')]
diff --git a/tests/empty_folder_test/.empty b/tests/empty_folder_test/.empty
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/loaders_test.py b/tests/loaders_test.py
index 51184aee..9e232f81 100644
--- a/tests/loaders_test.py
+++ b/tests/loaders_test.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from elastalert.loaders import RulesLoader
 from elastalert.util import EAException
 
-test_config = {'rules_folder': 'test_folder',
+test_config = {'rules_folder': './empty_folder_test',
                'run_every': {'minutes': 10},
                'buffer_time': {'minutes': 10},
                'es_host': 'elasticsearch.test',
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def test_load_inline_alert_rule():
 
 
 def test_file_rules_loader_get_names_recursive():
-    conf = {'scan_subdirectories': True, 'rules_folder': 'root'}
+    conf = {'scan_subdirectories': True, 'rules_folder': './empty_folder_test'}
     rules_loader = FileRulesLoader(conf)
     walk_paths = (('root', ['folder_a', 'folder_b'], ('rule.yaml',)),
                   ('root/folder_a', [], ('a.yaml', 'ab.yaml')),
@@ -186,6 +186,16 @@ def test_file_rules_loader_get_names_recursive():
     assert len(paths) == 4
 
 
+def test_file_rules_loader_get_names_invalid_path():
+    conf = {'scan_subdirectories': True, 'rules_folder': './folder_missing#XYZ'}
+    try:
+        # folder missing so FileRulesLoader must throws an error
+        if FileRulesLoader(conf).get_names(conf):
+            assert False
+    except EAException:
+        pass
+
+
 def test_file_rules_loader_get_names():
 
     class MockDirEntry: