diff --git a/manifests/resource/geo.pp b/manifests/resource/geo.pp
index f215785f8..0c85324ef 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/geo.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/geo.pp
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@
   Optional[Boolean] $proxy_recursive  = undef
 ) {
 
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   $root_group = $::nginx::root_group
   $conf_dir   = "${::nginx::conf_dir}/conf.d"
 
diff --git a/manifests/resource/location.pp b/manifests/resource/location.pp
index 8ed298a0c..910ca5de0 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/location.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/location.pp
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@
   Optional[String] $expires                           = undef,
 ) {
 
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   $root_group = $::nginx::root_group
 
   File {
diff --git a/manifests/resource/mailhost.pp b/manifests/resource/mailhost.pp
index 7b66546f8..3ea35c47a 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/mailhost.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/mailhost.pp
@@ -118,6 +118,10 @@
   Array $server_name                             = [$name]
 ) {
 
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   $root_group = $::nginx::root_group
 
   File {
diff --git a/manifests/resource/map.pp b/manifests/resource/map.pp
index 583191437..2cae672c6 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/map.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/map.pp
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@
   Enum['absent', 'present'] $ensure = 'present',
   Boolean $hostnames                = false
 ) {
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   validate_re($string, '^.{2,}$',
     "Invalid string value [${string}]. Expected a minimum of 2 characters.")
 
diff --git a/manifests/resource/server.pp b/manifests/resource/server.pp
index 4a2c6d297..17aec7b12 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/server.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/server.pp
@@ -249,6 +249,10 @@
   Hash $locations                                                                = {}
 ) {
 
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   # Variables
   if $::nginx::confd_only {
     $server_dir = "${::nginx::conf_dir}/conf.d"
diff --git a/manifests/resource/streamhost.pp b/manifests/resource/streamhost.pp
index 3662fe340..23e9292d0 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/streamhost.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/streamhost.pp
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@
   String $mode                            = $::nginx::global_mode,
 ) {
 
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   # Variables
   if $::nginx::confd_only {
     $streamhost_dir = "${::nginx::conf_dir}/conf.stream.d"
diff --git a/manifests/resource/upstream.pp b/manifests/resource/upstream.pp
index 301a54578..926303920 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/upstream.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/upstream.pp
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@
   Enum['http', 'stream'] $upstream_context  = 'http',
 ) {
 
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
+
   $root_group = $::nginx::root_group
 
   $ensure_real = $ensure ? {
diff --git a/manifests/resource/upstream/member.pp b/manifests/resource/upstream/member.pp
index d372c07c0..2af034c8f 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/upstream/member.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/upstream/member.pp
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
   Integer $port                     = 80,
   $upstream_fail_timeout  = '10s',
 ) {
+  if ! defined(Class['nginx']) {
+    fail('You must include the nginx base class before using any defined resources')
+  }
 
   # Uses: $server, $port, $upstream_fail_timeout
   concat::fragment { "${upstream}_upstream_member_${name}":