diff --git a/src/components/widget-plot-table.js b/src/components/widget-plot-table.js
index cbdee75..65de31e 100644
--- a/src/components/widget-plot-table.js
+++ b/src/components/widget-plot-table.js
@@ -58,22 +58,27 @@ class WidgetPlotTable extends Component {
       return (model.simulator === simulator);
     });
 
-    // Create checkboxes using the signal indices from simulation model
-    const preselectedSignals = simulationModel.mapping.reduce(
-      // Loop through simulation model signals
-      (accum, model_signal, signal_index) => {
-        // Append them if they belong to the current selected type
-        if (nextProps.widget.preselectedSignals.indexOf(signal_index) > -1) {
-            accum.push(
-              {
-                index: signal_index,
-                name: model_signal.name
-              }
-            )
-          }
-          return accum;
-        }, []);
-      this.setState({ preselectedSignals: preselectedSignals });
+    let preselectedSignals = [];
+    // Proceed if a simulation model is available
+    if (simulationModel) {
+      // Create checkboxes using the signal indices from simulation model
+      preselectedSignals = simulationModel.mapping.reduce(
+        // Loop through simulation model signals
+        (accum, model_signal, signal_index) => {
+          // Append them if they belong to the current selected type
+          if (nextProps.widget.preselectedSignals.indexOf(signal_index) > -1) {
+              accum.push(
+                {
+                  index: signal_index,
+                  name: model_signal.name
+                }
+              )
+            }
+            return accum;
+          }, []);
+    }
+    
+    this.setState({ preselectedSignals: preselectedSignals });
   }
 
   updateSignalSelection(signal_index, checked) {
diff --git a/src/components/widget-plot.js b/src/components/widget-plot.js
index df901c9..e0c2662 100644
--- a/src/components/widget-plot.js
+++ b/src/components/widget-plot.js
@@ -15,25 +15,29 @@ import PlotLegend from './widget-plot/plot-legend';
 class WidgetPlot extends Component {
 
   render() {
-    if (this.props.simulation == null) {
-      return (<div>Empty</div>);
+
+    const simulator = this.props.widget.simulator;
+    const simulation = this.props.simulation;
+    let legendSignals = [];
+    let simulatorData = [];
+
+    // Proceed if a simulation with models and a simulator are available
+    if (simulator && simulation && simulation.models.length > 0) {
+
+      const model = simulation.models.find( (model) => model.simulator === simulator );
+      const chosenSignals = this.props.widget.signals;
+
+      simulatorData = this.props.data[simulator];
+
+      // Query the signals that will be displayed in the legend
+      legendSignals = model.mapping.reduce( (accum, model_signal, signal_index) => {
+          if (chosenSignals.includes(signal_index)) {
+            accum.push({ index: signal_index, name: model_signal.name });
+          }
+          return accum;
+        }, []);
     }
 
-    let simulator = this.props.widget.simulator;
-    let simulation = this.props.simulation;
-    let model = simulation.models.find( (model) => model.simulator === simulator );
-    let chosenSignals = this.props.widget.signals;
-
-    let simulatorData = this.props.data[simulator];
-
-    // Query the signals that will be displayed in the legend
-    let legendSignals = model.mapping.reduce( (accum, model_signal, signal_index) => {
-        if (chosenSignals.includes(signal_index)) {
-          accum.push({ index: signal_index, name: model_signal.name });
-        }
-        return accum;
-      }, []);
-
     return (
       <div className="plot-widget" ref="wrapper">
         <h4>{this.props.widget.name}</h4>
diff --git a/src/containers/visualization.js b/src/containers/visualization.js
index 6085b06..c82d56d 100644
--- a/src/containers/visualization.js
+++ b/src/containers/visualization.js
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import ProjectStore from '../stores/project-store';
 import SimulationStore from '../stores/simulation-store';
 import FileStore from '../stores/file-store';
 import AppDispatcher from '../app-dispatcher';
+import NotificationsDataManager from '../data-managers/notifications-data-manager';
+import NotificationsFactory from '../data-managers/notifications-factory';
 
 import WidgetSlider from '../components/widget-slider';
 
@@ -138,16 +140,24 @@ class Visualization extends Component {
       z: 0
     };
 
+    let defaultSimulator = null;
+
+    if (this.state.simulation.models && this.state.simulation.models.length === 0) {
+      NotificationsDataManager.addNotification(NotificationsFactory.NO_SIM_MODEL_AVAILABLE);
+    } else {
+      defaultSimulator = this.state.simulation.models[0].simulator;
+    }
+
     // set type specific properties
     if (item.name === 'Value') {
-      widget.simulator = this.state.simulation.models[0].simulator;
+      widget.simulator = defaultSimulator;
       widget.signal = 0;
       widget.minWidth = 70;
       widget.minHeight = 20;
       widget.width = 120;
       widget.height = 70;
     } else if (item.name === 'Plot') {
-      widget.simulator = this.state.simulation.models[0].simulator;
+      widget.simulator = defaultSimulator;
       widget.signals = [ 0 ];
       widget.time = 60;
       widget.minWidth = 400;
@@ -155,7 +165,7 @@ class Visualization extends Component {
       widget.width = 400;
       widget.height = 200;
     } else if (item.name === 'Table') {
-      widget.simulator = this.state.simulation.models[0].simulator;
+      widget.simulator = defaultSimulator;
       widget.minWidth = 300;
       widget.minHeight = 200;
       widget.width = 400;
@@ -164,7 +174,7 @@ class Visualization extends Component {
       widget.minWidth = 70;
       widget.minHeight = 20;
     } else if (item.name === 'PlotTable') {
-      widget.simulator = this.state.simulation.models[0].simulator;
+      widget.simulator = defaultSimulator;
       widget.preselectedSignals = [];
       widget.signals = []; // initialize selected signals
       widget.minWidth = 400;
@@ -194,7 +204,7 @@ class Visualization extends Component {
       widget.height = 50;
       widget.orientation = WidgetSlider.OrientationTypes.HORIZONTAL.value; // Assign default orientation
     } else if (item.name === 'Gauge') {
-      widget.simulator = this.state.simulation.models[0].simulator;
+      widget.simulator = defaultSimulator;
       widget.signal = 0;
       widget.minWidth = 200;
       widget.minHeight = 150;
diff --git a/src/data-managers/notifications-factory.js b/src/data-managers/notifications-factory.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56c095c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/data-managers/notifications-factory.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/**
+ * File: notifications-factory.js
+ * Description: An unique source of pre-defined notifications that are displayed 
+ *              throughout the application.
+ * Author: Ricardo Hernandez-Montoya <rhernandez@gridhound.de>
+ * Date: 13.04.2017
+ * Copyright: 2017, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems, EONERC
+ *   This file is part of VILLASweb. All Rights Reserved. Proprietary and confidential.
+ *   Unauthorized copying of this file, via any medium is strictly prohibited.
+ **********************************************************************************/
+
+class NotificationsFactory {
+
+    static get NO_SIM_MODEL_AVAILABLE() {
+        return {
+            title: 'No simulation model available',
+            message: 'Consider defining a simulation model in the simulators section.',
+            level: 'warning'
+        };
+    }
+
+}
+
+export default NotificationsFactory;
\ No newline at end of file