diff --git a/src/troute-config/troute/config/config.py b/src/troute-config/troute/config/config.py
index 0e5ae03cc..fc98a80df 100644
--- a/src/troute-config/troute/config/config.py
+++ b/src/troute-config/troute/config/config.py
@@ -223,4 +223,14 @@ def check_flowpath_edge_list(cls, values):
             assert Path(flowpath_edge_list).suffix=='.json', "geo_file_path is json, but flowpath_edge_list is a different file type."
 
         return values
+    
+    @root_validator(skip_on_failure=True)
+    def check_lite_restart_directory(cls, values):
+        if values['output_parameters']:
+            lite_restart = values['output_parameters'].lite_restart
+            if lite_restart is not None:
+                lite_restart_directory = lite_restart.lite_restart_output_directory
+                assert lite_restart_directory, "lite_restart is present in output parameters, but no lite_restart_output_directory is provided."
+        
+        return values
     
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/__main__.py b/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/__main__.py
index baa575fcb..789d5323f 100644
--- a/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/__main__.py
+++ b/src/troute-nwm/src/nwm_routing/__main__.py
@@ -216,13 +216,14 @@ def main_v04(argv):
         data_assimilation.update_after_compute(run_results, dt*nts)
 
         # TODO move the conditional call to write_lite_restart to nwm_output_generator.
-        if output_parameters.get('lite_restart',{}).get('lite_restart_output_directory', None):
-            nhd_io.write_lite_restart(
-                network.q0, 
-                network._waterbody_df, 
-                t0 + timedelta(seconds = dt * nts), 
-                output_parameters['lite_restart']
-            )      
+        if output_parameters:
+            if output_parameters['lite_restart'] is not None:
+                nhd_io.write_lite_restart(
+                    network.q0, 
+                    network._waterbody_df, 
+                    t0 + timedelta(seconds = dt * nts), 
+                    output_parameters['lite_restart']
+                )      
 
         # Prepare input forcing for next time loop simulation when mutiple time loops are presented.
         if run_set_iterator < len(run_sets) - 1: