diff --git a/urdf_parser/src/link.cpp b/urdf_parser/src/link.cpp
index e7cbdf18..e20439df 100644
--- a/urdf_parser/src/link.cpp
+++ b/urdf_parser/src/link.cpp
@@ -494,16 +494,14 @@ bool parseLink(Link &link, tinyxml2::XMLElement* config,
 
     VisualSharedPtr vis;
     vis.reset(new Visual());
-    if (parseVisual(*vis, vis_xml, version))
-    {
-      link.visual_array.push_back(vis);
-    }
-    else
+    if (!parseVisual(*vis, vis_xml, version))
     {
       vis.reset();
       CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("Could not parse visual element for Link [%s]", link.name.c_str());
       return false;
     }
+
+    link.visual_array.push_back(vis);
   }
 
   // Visual (optional)
@@ -516,16 +514,13 @@ bool parseLink(Link &link, tinyxml2::XMLElement* config,
   {
     CollisionSharedPtr col;
     col.reset(new Collision());
-    if (parseCollision(*col, col_xml, version))
-    {
-      link.collision_array.push_back(col);
-    }
-    else
+    if (!parseCollision(*col, col_xml, version))
     {
       col.reset();
       CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("Could not parse collision element for Link [%s]",  link.name.c_str());
       return false;
     }
+    link.collision_array.push_back(col);
   }
 
   // Collision (optional)
diff --git a/urdf_parser/src/model.cpp b/urdf_parser/src/model.cpp
index 2998827f..5fba5d95 100644
--- a/urdf_parser/src/model.cpp
+++ b/urdf_parser/src/model.cpp
@@ -91,6 +91,19 @@ bool assignMaterial(const VisualSharedPtr& visual, ModelInterfaceSharedPtr& mode
   return true;
 }
 
+bool operator==(const Material& lhs, const Material& rhs)
+{
+  return lhs.texture_filename == rhs.texture_filename &&
+      lhs.color.r == rhs.color.r &&
+      lhs.color.g == rhs.color.g &&
+      lhs.color.b == rhs.color.b &&
+      lhs.color.a == rhs.color.a;
+}
+inline bool operator!=(const Material& lhs, const Material& rhs)
+{
+  return !(lhs == rhs);
+}
+
 ModelInterfaceSharedPtr  parseURDF(const std::string &xml_string)
 {
   ModelInterfaceSharedPtr model(new ModelInterface);
@@ -152,27 +165,31 @@ ModelInterfaceSharedPtr  parseURDF(const std::string &xml_string)
     MaterialSharedPtr material;
     material.reset(new Material);
 
+    bool success;
     try {
-      parseMaterial(*material, material_xml, false); // material needs to be fully defined here
-      if (model->getMaterial(material->name))
-      {
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("material '%s' is not unique.", material->name.c_str());
-        material.reset();
-        model.reset();
-        return model;
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        model->materials_.insert(make_pair(material->name,material));
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: successfully added a new material '%s'", material->name.c_str());
-      }
-    }
-    catch (ParseError &/*e*/) {
+      success = parseMaterial(*material, material_xml, false); // material needs to be fully defined here
+    } catch(ParseError & /*e*/) {
       CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("material xml is not initialized correctly");
+      success = false;
+    }
+
+    if (success && material) {
+      if (const MaterialSharedPtr& other = model->getMaterial(material->name);
+          other && *material != *other)
+        {
+          CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("material '%s' is not unique.", material->name.c_str());
+          success = false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!success) {
       material.reset();
       model.reset();
       return model;
     }
+
+    model->materials_.insert(make_pair(material->name,material));
+    CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: successfully added a new material '%s'", material->name.c_str());
   }
 
   // Get all Link elements
@@ -181,37 +198,41 @@ ModelInterfaceSharedPtr  parseURDF(const std::string &xml_string)
     LinkSharedPtr link;
     link.reset(new Link);
 
+    bool success;
     try {
-      parseLink(*link, link_xml, version);
-      if (model->getLink(link->name))
-      {
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("link '%s' is not unique.", link->name.c_str());
-        model.reset();
-        return model;
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        // set link visual(s) material
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: setting link '%s' material", link->name.c_str());
-        if (link->visual)
-        {
-          assignMaterial(link->visual, model, link->name.c_str());
-        }
-        for (const auto& visual : link->visual_array)
-        {
-          assignMaterial(visual, model, link->name.c_str());
-        }
-
-        model->links_.insert(make_pair(link->name,link));
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: successfully added a new link '%s'", link->name.c_str());
-      }
+      success = parseLink(*link, link_xml, version);
+    } catch (ParseError & /*e*/) {
+      success = false;
     }
-    catch (ParseError &/*e*/) {
+
+    if (!success) {
       CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("link xml is not initialized correctly");
       model.reset();
       return model;
     }
+
+    if (model->getLink(link->name))
+    {
+      CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("link '%s' is not unique.", link->name.c_str());
+      model.reset();
+      return model;
+    }
+
+    // set link visual(s) material
+    CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: setting link '%s' material", link->name.c_str());
+    if (link->visual)
+    {
+      assignMaterial(link->visual, model, link->name.c_str());
+    }
+    for (const auto& visual : link->visual_array)
+    {
+      assignMaterial(visual, model, link->name.c_str());
+    }
+
+    model->links_.insert(make_pair(link->name, link));
+    CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: successfully added a new link '%s'", link->name.c_str());
   }
+
   if (model->links_.empty()){
     CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("No link elements found in urdf file");
     model.reset();
@@ -224,26 +245,28 @@ ModelInterfaceSharedPtr  parseURDF(const std::string &xml_string)
     JointSharedPtr joint;
     joint.reset(new Joint);
 
-    if (parseJoint(*joint, joint_xml, version))
-    {
-      if (model->getJoint(joint->name))
-      {
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("joint '%s' is not unique.", joint->name.c_str());
-        model.reset();
-        return model;
-      }
-      else
-      {
-        model->joints_.insert(make_pair(joint->name,joint));
-        CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: successfully added a new joint '%s'", joint->name.c_str());
-      }
+    bool success;
+    try {
+      success = parseJoint(*joint, joint_xml, version);
+    } catch(ParseError & /*e*/) {
+      success = false;
     }
-    else
-    {
+
+    if (!success) {
       CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("joint xml is not initialized correctly");
       model.reset();
       return model;
     }
+
+    if (model->getJoint(joint->name))
+    {
+      CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logError("joint '%s' is not unique.", joint->name.c_str());
+      model.reset();
+      return model;
+    }
+
+    model->joints_.insert(make_pair(joint->name,joint));
+    CONSOLE_BRIDGE_logDebug("urdfdom: successfully added a new joint '%s'", joint->name.c_str());
   }
 
 
diff --git a/urdf_parser/test/urdf_unit_test.cpp b/urdf_parser/test/urdf_unit_test.cpp
index 6e8d87e1..e83fe64f 100644
--- a/urdf_parser/test/urdf_unit_test.cpp
+++ b/urdf_parser/test/urdf_unit_test.cpp
@@ -27,19 +27,6 @@ bool quat_are_near(urdf::Rotation left, urdf::Rotation right)
           std::abs(l[3] + r[3]) < epsilon);
 }
 
-std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &os, const urdf::Rotation& rot)
-{
-  double roll, pitch, yaw;
-  double x, y, z, w;
-  rot.getRPY(roll, pitch, yaw);
-  rot.getQuaternion(x, y, z, w);
-  os << std::setprecision(9)
-     << "x: " << x << " y: " << y << " z: " << z << " w: " <<  w
-     << "  roll: "  << roll << " pitch: " << pitch << " yaw: "<< yaw;
-  return os;
-}
-
-
 void check_get_set_rpy_is_idempotent(double x, double y, double z, double w)
 {
   urdf::Rotation rot0;
@@ -48,12 +35,6 @@ void check_get_set_rpy_is_idempotent(double x, double y, double z, double w)
   rot0.getRPY(roll, pitch, yaw);
   urdf::Rotation rot1;
   rot1.setFromRPY(roll, pitch, yaw);
-  if (true) {
-    std::cout << "\n"
-              << "before  " << rot0 << "\n"
-              << "after   " << rot1 << "\n"
-              << "ok      " << quat_are_near(rot0, rot1) << "\n";
-  }
   EXPECT_TRUE(quat_are_near(rot0, rot1));
 }
 
@@ -66,12 +47,6 @@ void check_get_set_rpy_is_idempotent_from_rpy(double r, double p, double y)
   urdf::Rotation rot1;
   rot1.setFromRPY(roll, pitch, yaw);
   bool ok = quat_are_near(rot0, rot1);
-  if (!ok) {
-    std::cout << "initial rpy: " << r << " " << p << " " << y << "\n"
-              << "before  " << rot0 << "\n"
-              << "after   " << rot1 << "\n"
-              << "ok      " << ok << "\n";
-  }
   EXPECT_TRUE(ok);
 }
 
@@ -592,7 +567,6 @@ TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, parse_link_doubles)
   EXPECT_EQ(0.908, urdf->links_["l1"]->inertial->izz);
 }
 
-
 TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, parse_color_doubles)
 {
   std::string joint_str =
@@ -666,6 +640,67 @@ TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, parse_color_doubles)
   EXPECT_EQ(0.908, urdf->links_["l1"]->inertial->izz);
 }
 
+TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, material_no_name)
+{
+  std::string joint_str =
+    "<robot name=\"test\">"
+    "  <material/>"
+    "  <link name=\"l1\"/>"
+    "</robot>";
+  urdf::ModelInterfaceSharedPtr urdf = urdf::parseURDF(joint_str);
+  EXPECT_EQ(nullptr, urdf);
+}
+
+TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, materials_no_rgb)
+{
+  std::string urdf_str =
+    "<robot name=\"test\">"
+    "  <material name=\"red\"/>"
+    "  <link name=\"dummy\"/>"
+    "</robot>";
+  urdf::ModelInterfaceSharedPtr urdf = urdf::parseURDF(urdf_str);
+  EXPECT_EQ(nullptr, urdf);  // material missing RGB
+}
+
+TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, duplicate_materials)
+{
+  std::string urdf_str =
+    "<robot name=\"test\">"
+    "  <material name=\"red\">"
+    "    <color rgba=\"1 0 0 1\"/>"
+    "  </material>"
+    "  <material name=\"red\">"
+    "    <color rgba=\"1 0 0 1\"/>"
+    "  </material>"
+    "  <link name=\"dummy\"/>"
+    "</robot>";
+
+  urdf::ModelInterfaceSharedPtr urdf = urdf::parseURDF(urdf_str);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(static_cast<bool>(urdf));  // identical materials are fine
+
+  urdf_str =
+    "<robot name=\"test\">"
+    "  <material name=\"red\">"
+    "    <color rgba=\"1 0 0 1\"/>"
+    "  </material>"
+    "  <material name=\"red\">"
+    "    <color rgba=\"0 1 0 1\"/>"
+    "  </material>"
+    "  <link name=\"dummy\"/>"
+    "</robot>";
+  urdf = urdf::parseURDF(urdf_str);
+  EXPECT_EQ(nullptr, urdf);  // different materials cause failure
+}
+
+TEST(URDF_UNIT_TEST, link_no_name)
+{
+  std::string urdf_str =
+    "<robot name=\"test\">"
+    "  <link/>"
+    "</robot>";
+  urdf::ModelInterfaceSharedPtr urdf = urdf::parseURDF(urdf_str);
+  EXPECT_EQ(nullptr, urdf);
+}
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {