diff --git a/android/soong_config_modules.go b/android/soong_config_modules.go
index c0f452396..c1e92b8b8 100644
--- a/android/soong_config_modules.go
+++ b/android/soong_config_modules.go
@@ -382,15 +382,15 @@ func loadSoongConfigModuleTypeDefinition(ctx LoadHookContext, from string) map[s
 		defer r.Close()
 
 		mtDef, errs := soongconfig.Parse(r, from)
-		if ctx.Config().BuildMode == Bp2build {
-			ctx.Config().Bp2buildSoongConfigDefinitions.AddVars(*mtDef)
-		}
-
 		if len(errs) > 0 {
 			reportErrors(ctx, from, errs...)
 			return (map[string]blueprint.ModuleFactory)(nil)
 		}
 
+		if ctx.Config().BuildMode == Bp2build {
+			ctx.Config().Bp2buildSoongConfigDefinitions.AddVars(*mtDef)
+		}
+
 		globalModuleTypes := ctx.moduleFactories()
 
 		factories := make(map[string]blueprint.ModuleFactory)
diff --git a/bp2build/soong_config_module_type_conversion_test.go b/bp2build/soong_config_module_type_conversion_test.go
index a94b2b9f1..7029b93c7 100644
--- a/bp2build/soong_config_module_type_conversion_test.go
+++ b/bp2build/soong_config_module_type_conversion_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package bp2build
 import (
 	"android/soong/android"
 	"android/soong/cc"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -36,6 +37,29 @@ func registerSoongConfigModuleTypes(ctx android.RegistrationContext) {
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("cc_library", cc.LibraryFactory)
 }
 
+func TestErrorInBpFileDoesNotPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	bp := `
+soong_config_module_type {
+    name: "library_linking_strategy_cc_defaults",
+    module_type: "cc_defaults",
+    config_namespace: "ANDROID",
+    variables: ["library_linking_strategy"],
+    properties: [
+        "shared_libs",
+        "static_libs",
+    ],
+}
+`
+
+	runSoongConfigModuleTypeTest(t, Bp2buildTestCase{
+		Description:                "soong config variables - generates selects for library_linking_strategy",
+		ModuleTypeUnderTest:        "cc_binary",
+		ModuleTypeUnderTestFactory: cc.BinaryFactory,
+		Blueprint:                  bp,
+		ExpectedErr:                fmt.Errorf(`unknown variable "library_linking_strategy" in module type "library_linking_strategy_cc_defaults`),
+	})
+}
+
 func TestSoongConfigModuleType(t *testing.T) {
 	bp := `
 soong_config_module_type {