diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4176967..7c32e45 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     "debug": "^4.1.1",
     "human-interval": "^1.0.0",
     "is-string-and-not-blank": "^0.0.2",
+    "is-valid-path": "^0.1.1",
     "ms": "^2.1.2",
     "safe-timers": "^1.1.0"
   },
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index f838f76..94dd131 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const cron = require('cron-validate');
 const debug = require('debug')('bree');
 const humanInterval = require('human-interval');
 const isSANB = require('is-string-and-not-blank');
+const isValidPath = require('is-valid-path');
 const later = require('@breejs/later');
 const ms = require('ms');
 const threads = require('bthreads');
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ class Bree extends EventEmitter {
     // validate root (sync check)
     if (isSANB(this.config.root)) {
       /* istanbul ignore next */
-      if (hasFsStatSync) {
+      if (hasFsStatSync && isValidPath(this.config.root)) {
         const stats = fs.statSync(this.config.root);
         if (!stats.isDirectory())
           throw new Error(
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ class Bree extends EventEmitter {
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line complexity
   validateJob(job, i, names, errors) {
+    if (typeof this.config.jobs[i] === 'undefined') this.config.jobs[i] = {};
     // support a simple string which we will transform to have a path
     if (isSANB(job)) {
       // don't allow a job to have the `index` file name
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ class Bree extends EventEmitter {
       );
       try {
         /* istanbul ignore next */
-        if (hasFsStatSync) {
+        if (hasFsStatSync && isValidPath(path)) {
           const stats = fs.statSync(path);
           if (!stats.isFile())
             throw new Error(`Job #${i + 1} "${job}" path missing: ${path}`);
@@ -311,7 +313,7 @@ class Bree extends EventEmitter {
       if (path) {
         try {
           /* istanbul ignore next */
-          if (hasFsStatSync) {
+          if (hasFsStatSync && isValidPath(path)) {
             const stats = fs.statSync(path);
             // eslint-disable-next-line max-depth
             if (!stats.isFile())
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index b553e33..b2d4744 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -1656,3 +1656,10 @@ test('remove > fails if job does not exist', (t) => {
 
   t.throws(() => bree.remove('basic'), { message: /Job .* does not exist/ });
 });
+
+test('add > successfully adds job object', (t) => {
+  const bree = new Bree({ root: false });
+  function noop() {}
+  bree.add({ name: 'basic', path: noop.toString() });
+  t.pass();
+});
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index ed39eec..49730fd 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -4619,6 +4619,11 @@ is-extendable@^1.0.1:
   dependencies:
     is-plain-object "^2.0.4"
 
+is-extglob@^1.0.0:
+  version "1.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-extglob/-/is-extglob-1.0.0.tgz#ac468177c4943405a092fc8f29760c6ffc6206c0"
+  integrity sha1-rEaBd8SUNAWgkvyPKXYMb/xiBsA=
+
 is-extglob@^2.1.0, is-extglob@^2.1.1:
   version "2.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-extglob/-/is-extglob-2.1.1.tgz#a88c02535791f02ed37c76a1b9ea9773c833f8c2"
@@ -4642,6 +4647,13 @@ is-get-set-prop@^1.0.0:
     get-set-props "^0.1.0"
     lowercase-keys "^1.0.0"
 
+is-glob@^2.0.0:
+  version "2.0.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-glob/-/is-glob-2.0.1.tgz#d096f926a3ded5600f3fdfd91198cb0888c2d863"
+  integrity sha1-0Jb5JqPe1WAPP9/ZEZjLCIjC2GM=
+  dependencies:
+    is-extglob "^1.0.0"
+
 is-glob@^3.1.0:
   version "3.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-glob/-/is-glob-3.1.0.tgz#7ba5ae24217804ac70707b96922567486cc3e84a"
@@ -4674,6 +4686,13 @@ is-interactive@^1.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-interactive/-/is-interactive-1.0.0.tgz#cea6e6ae5c870a7b0a0004070b7b587e0252912e"
   integrity sha512-2HvIEKRoqS62guEC+qBjpvRubdX910WCMuJTZ+I9yvqKU2/12eSL549HMwtabb4oupdj2sMP50k+XJfB/8JE6w==
 
+is-invalid-path@^0.1.0:
+  version "0.1.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-invalid-path/-/is-invalid-path-0.1.0.tgz#307a855b3cf1a938b44ea70d2c61106053714f34"
+  integrity sha1-MHqFWzzxqTi0TqcNLGEQYFNxTzQ=
+  dependencies:
+    is-glob "^2.0.0"
+
 is-js-type@^2.0.0:
   version "2.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-js-type/-/is-js-type-2.0.0.tgz#73617006d659b4eb4729bba747d28782df0f7e22"
@@ -4838,6 +4857,13 @@ is-url@^1.2.2:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-url/-/is-url-1.2.4.tgz#04a4df46d28c4cff3d73d01ff06abeb318a1aa52"
   integrity sha512-ITvGim8FhRiYe4IQ5uHSkj7pVaPDrCTkNd3yq3cV7iZAcJdHTUMPMEHcqSOy9xZ9qFenQCvi+2wjH9a1nXqHww==
 
+is-valid-path@^0.1.1:
+  version "0.1.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-valid-path/-/is-valid-path-0.1.1.tgz#110f9ff74c37f663e1ec7915eb451f2db93ac9df"
+  integrity sha1-EQ+f90w39mPh7HkV60UfLbk6yd8=
+  dependencies:
+    is-invalid-path "^0.1.0"
+
 is-whitespace-character@^1.0.0:
   version "1.0.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-whitespace-character/-/is-whitespace-character-1.0.4.tgz#0858edd94a95594c7c9dd0b5c174ec6e45ee4aa7"