diff --git a/lib/ace/tokenizer.js b/lib/ace/tokenizer.js
index 3f21c475..8d161d74 100644
--- a/lib/ace/tokenizer.js
+++ b/lib/ace/tokenizer.js
@@ -141,15 +141,14 @@ var Tokenizer = function(rules, flag) {
                 if (rule.next) {
                     currentState = rule.next;
                     state = this.rules[currentState];
+                    if (!state) {
+                        window.console && console.error && console.error(currentState, "doesn't exist");
+                        currentState = "start";
+                        state = this.rules[currentState];
+                    }
                     mapping = this.matchMappings[currentState];
                     lastIndex = re.lastIndex;
-
                     re = this.regExps[currentState];
-
-                    if (re === undefined) {
-                        throw new Error("You indicated a state of " + rule.next + " to go to, but it doesn't exist!");
-                    }
-
                     re.lastIndex = lastIndex;
                 }
                 break;