diff --git a/themes/blueprint/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml b/themes/blueprint/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml
index c949ca1312c0af576e51704e10f4c4390d3a44be..81b8624d5bc722223f98bf971642866f94154377 100644
--- a/themes/blueprint/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml
+++ b/themes/blueprint/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml
@@ -3,27 +3,29 @@
 
     $visualFacetSet = $this->recommend->getPivotFacetSet();
 
-    $flarechildren = array();
+    if (isset($visualFacetSet->children)) {
+      $flarechildren = array();
 
-    foreach ($visualFacetSet->children as $toplevelfacet) {
+      foreach ($visualFacetSet->children as $toplevelfacet) {
           $toplevelinfo = array();
           $toplevelchildren = array();
           $toplevelinfo['name'] = $toplevelfacet['value'];
           $toplevelinfo['field'] = $toplevelfacet['field'];
           $toplevelinfo['size'] = $toplevelfacet['count'];
           foreach($toplevelfacet['pivot'] as $secondlevelfacet) {
-               $secondlevelinfo = array();
-               $secondlevelinfo['name'] = $secondlevelfacet['value'];
-               $secondlevelinfo['size'] = $secondlevelfacet['count'];
-               $secondlevelinfo['field'] = $secondlevelfacet['field'];
-               $secondlevelinfo['parentlevel'] = $toplevelinfo['name'];
-               array_push($toplevelchildren, $secondlevelinfo);
+             $secondlevelinfo = array();
+             $secondlevelinfo['name'] = $secondlevelfacet['value'];
+             $secondlevelinfo['size'] = $secondlevelfacet['count'];
+             $secondlevelinfo['field'] = $secondlevelfacet['field'];
+             $secondlevelinfo['parentlevel'] = $toplevelinfo['name'];
+             array_push($toplevelchildren, $secondlevelinfo);
           }
           $toplevelinfo['children'] = $toplevelchildren;
           array_push($flarechildren, $toplevelinfo);
-     }
+       }
 
-    $visualFacetSet->children = $flarechildren;
+      $visualFacetSet->children = $flarechildren;
+    }
 ?>
 
 <? if (isset($visualFacetSet)): ?>
diff --git a/themes/bootstrap3/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml b/themes/bootstrap3/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml
index 4d9136f2125719c20fa0b51ba59b49b17c26b475..38f748b184361cb12a0a9a42036c9c58f2c1ab17 100644
--- a/themes/bootstrap3/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml
+++ b/themes/bootstrap3/templates/Recommend/VisualFacets.phtml
@@ -3,27 +3,29 @@
 
   $visualFacetSet = $this->recommend->getPivotFacetSet();
 
-  $flarechildren = array();
-
-  foreach ($visualFacetSet->children as $toplevelfacet) {
-    $toplevelinfo = array();
-    $toplevelchildren = array();
-    $toplevelinfo['name'] = $toplevelfacet['value'];
-    $toplevelinfo['field'] = $toplevelfacet['field'];
-    $toplevelinfo['size'] = $toplevelfacet['count'];
-    foreach($toplevelfacet['pivot'] as $secondlevelfacet) {
-      $secondlevelinfo = array();
-      $secondlevelinfo['name'] = $secondlevelfacet['value'];
-      $secondlevelinfo['size'] = $secondlevelfacet['count'];
-      $secondlevelinfo['field'] = $secondlevelfacet['field'];
-      $secondlevelinfo['parentlevel'] = $toplevelinfo['name'];
-      array_push($toplevelchildren, $secondlevelinfo);
+  if (isset($visualFacetSet->children)) {
+    $flarechildren = array();
+
+    foreach ($visualFacetSet->children as $toplevelfacet) {
+      $toplevelinfo = array();
+      $toplevelchildren = array();
+      $toplevelinfo['name'] = $toplevelfacet['value'];
+      $toplevelinfo['field'] = $toplevelfacet['field'];
+      $toplevelinfo['size'] = $toplevelfacet['count'];
+      foreach($toplevelfacet['pivot'] as $secondlevelfacet) {
+        $secondlevelinfo = array();
+        $secondlevelinfo['name'] = $secondlevelfacet['value'];
+        $secondlevelinfo['size'] = $secondlevelfacet['count'];
+        $secondlevelinfo['field'] = $secondlevelfacet['field'];
+        $secondlevelinfo['parentlevel'] = $toplevelinfo['name'];
+        array_push($toplevelchildren, $secondlevelinfo);
+      }
+      $toplevelinfo['children'] = $toplevelchildren;
+      array_push($flarechildren, $toplevelinfo);
     }
-    $toplevelinfo['children'] = $toplevelchildren;
-    array_push($flarechildren, $toplevelinfo);
-  }
 
-  $visualFacetSet->children = $flarechildren;
+    $visualFacetSet->children = $flarechildren;
+  }
 ?>
 
 <? if (isset($visualFacetSet)): ?>