diff --git a/run2auau/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C b/run2auau/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C
index 451c7df..5876dfb 100644
--- a/run2auau/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C
+++ b/run2auau/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
   in->SetPoolDepth(50);
   in->Resync(true);
 
+  int NumInputs = 0;
   //in->Verbosity(2);
   // this one is the reference
   ifstream infile(gl1input);
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     gl1->LastEvent(lastevent);
     gl1->AddListFile(gl1input);
     in->registerTriggerInput(gl1, InputManagerType::GL1);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
   infile.open(mbdinput);
   if (infile.is_open())
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     mbd->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
     mbd->AddListFile(mbdinput);
     in->registerTriggerInput(mbd, InputManagerType::MBD);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
 
   infile.open(zdcinput);
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     zdc->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
     zdc->AddListFile(zdcinput);
     in->registerTriggerInput(zdc, InputManagerType::ZDC);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
 
   infile.open(ll1input);
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     ll1->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
     ll1->AddListFile(ll1input);
     in->registerTriggerInput(ll1, InputManagerType::LL1);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
   int inpt = 0;
   for (auto iter : hcalinfile)
@@ -152,9 +157,10 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
       hcal->enable_ddump(DDUMP);
       hcal->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
       in->registerTriggerInput(hcal, InputManagerType::HCAL);
+      inpt++;
     }
-    inpt++;
   }
+  NumInputs += inpt;
 
   inpt = 0;
   for (auto iter : cemcinfile)
@@ -171,8 +177,16 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
       cemc->enable_ddump(DDUMP);
       cemc->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
       in->registerTriggerInput(cemc, InputManagerType::CEMC);
+      inpt++;
     }
-    inpt++;
+  }
+  NumInputs += inpt;
+
+// if there is no input manager this macro will still run - so just quit here
+  if (NumInputs == 0)
+  {
+    std::cout << "no file lists no input manager registered, quitting" << std::endl;
+    gSystem->Exit(1);
   }
 
   se->registerInputManager(in);
diff --git a/run2auau/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C b/run2auau/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C
index 16da222..ba2ff6a 100644
--- a/run2auau/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C
+++ b/run2auau/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
   Fun4AllStreamingInputManager *in = new Fun4AllStreamingInputManager("Comb");
   //  in->Verbosity(2);
 // create and register input managers
+  int NumInputs = 0;
   int i = 0;
 
   for (auto iter : gl1_infile)
@@ -150,9 +151,9 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
       i++;
     }
   }
-  i = 0;
-
+  NumInputs += i;
 
+  i = 0;
   for (auto iter : intt_infile)
   {
     if (isGood(iter))
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
+  NumInputs += i;
+
   i = 0;
   for (auto iter : mvtx_infile)
   {
@@ -180,6 +183,8 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
+  NumInputs += i;
+
   i = 0;
   for (auto iter : tpc_infile)
   {
@@ -195,8 +200,9 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
-  i = 0;
+  NumInputs += i;
 
+  i = 0;
   for (auto iter : tpot_infile)
   {
     if (isGood(iter))
@@ -211,6 +217,14 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
+  NumInputs += i;
+
+// if there is no input manager this macro will still run - so just quit here
+  if (NumInputs == 0)
+  {
+    std::cout << "no file lists no input manager registered, quitting" << std::endl;
+    gSystem->Exit(1);
+  }
 
   se->registerInputManager(in);
 //  StreamingCheck *scheck = new StreamingCheck();
diff --git a/run2pp/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C b/run2pp/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C
index 451c7df..5876dfb 100644
--- a/run2pp/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C
+++ b/run2pp/TriggerProduction/Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner.C
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
   in->SetPoolDepth(50);
   in->Resync(true);
 
+  int NumInputs = 0;
   //in->Verbosity(2);
   // this one is the reference
   ifstream infile(gl1input);
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     gl1->LastEvent(lastevent);
     gl1->AddListFile(gl1input);
     in->registerTriggerInput(gl1, InputManagerType::GL1);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
   infile.open(mbdinput);
   if (infile.is_open())
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     mbd->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
     mbd->AddListFile(mbdinput);
     in->registerTriggerInput(mbd, InputManagerType::MBD);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
 
   infile.open(zdcinput);
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     zdc->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
     zdc->AddListFile(zdcinput);
     in->registerTriggerInput(zdc, InputManagerType::ZDC);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
 
   infile.open(ll1input);
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
     ll1->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
     ll1->AddListFile(ll1input);
     in->registerTriggerInput(ll1, InputManagerType::LL1);
+    NumInputs++;
   }
   int inpt = 0;
   for (auto iter : hcalinfile)
@@ -152,9 +157,10 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
       hcal->enable_ddump(DDUMP);
       hcal->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
       in->registerTriggerInput(hcal, InputManagerType::HCAL);
+      inpt++;
     }
-    inpt++;
   }
+  NumInputs += inpt;
 
   inpt = 0;
   for (auto iter : cemcinfile)
@@ -171,8 +177,16 @@ void Fun4All_Prdf_Combiner(int nEvents = 0,
       cemc->enable_ddump(DDUMP);
       cemc->SkipToEvent(firstevent);
       in->registerTriggerInput(cemc, InputManagerType::CEMC);
+      inpt++;
     }
-    inpt++;
+  }
+  NumInputs += inpt;
+
+// if there is no input manager this macro will still run - so just quit here
+  if (NumInputs == 0)
+  {
+    std::cout << "no file lists no input manager registered, quitting" << std::endl;
+    gSystem->Exit(1);
   }
 
   se->registerInputManager(in);
diff --git a/run2pp/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C b/run2pp/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C
index fc7a158..56afa3e 100644
--- a/run2pp/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C
+++ b/run2pp/cosmics/Fun4All_Stream_Combiner.C
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
   Fun4AllStreamingInputManager *in = new Fun4AllStreamingInputManager("Comb");
   //  in->Verbosity(2);
 // create and register input managers
+  int NumInputs = 0;
   int i = 0;
 
   for (auto iter : gl1_infile)
@@ -150,9 +151,9 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
       i++;
     }
   }
-  i = 0;
-
+  NumInputs += i;
 
+  i = 0;
   for (auto iter : intt_infile)
   {
     if (isGood(iter))
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
+  NumInputs += i;
+
   i = 0;
   for (auto iter : mvtx_infile)
   {
@@ -180,6 +183,8 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
+  NumInputs += i;
+
   i = 0;
   for (auto iter : tpc_infile)
   {
@@ -195,8 +200,9 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
-  i = 0;
+  NumInputs += i;
 
+  i = 0;
   for (auto iter : tpot_infile)
   {
     if (isGood(iter))
@@ -211,7 +217,14 @@ void Fun4All_Stream_Combiner(int nEvents = 100,
     i++;
     }
   }
+  NumInputs += i;
 
+// if there is no input manager this macro will still run - so just quit here
+  if (NumInputs == 0)
+  {
+    std::cout << "no file lists no input manager registered, quitting" << std::endl;
+    gSystem->Exit(1);
+  }
   se->registerInputManager(in);
 //  StreamingCheck *scheck = new StreamingCheck();
 //  scheck->SetTpcBcoRange(130);