diff --git a/bidsmreye/visualize.py b/bidsmreye/visualize.py
index c84a6eb..d4f9305 100644
--- a/bidsmreye/visualize.py
+++ b/bidsmreye/visualize.py
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ def collect_group_qc_data(cfg: Config) -> pd.DataFrame | None:
         with open(file) as f:
             data = json.loads(f.read())
 
+        print(data)
+
         df = pd.json_normalize(data)
         df["filename"] = Path(file).name
         df["subject"] = entities["subject"]
@@ -87,7 +89,14 @@ def collect_group_qc_data(cfg: Config) -> pd.DataFrame | None:
         "eye1XVar",
         "eye1YVar",
     ]
-    qc_data = qc_data[cols]
+    try:
+        qc_data = qc_data[cols]
+    except KeyError:
+        log.error(
+            f"""Sidecar files seem to be missing the keys: {cols}.
+ To fix try to run the qc at the participant level first."""
+        )
+        return None
 
     return qc_data
 
diff --git a/tests/test_visualize.py b/tests/test_visualize.py
index acec136..ab97ba1 100644
--- a/tests/test_visualize.py
+++ b/tests/test_visualize.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
 import shutil
 
 import pandas as pd
@@ -32,6 +33,31 @@ def test_group_report(tmp_path, data_dir):
     assert (target_dir / "group_eyetrack.tsv").exists()
 
 
+def test_group_report_missing_qc(tmp_path, data_dir):
+    """Regression test for https://github.com/cpp-lln-lab/bidsMReye/issues/171 ."""
+    src_dir = data_dir / "derivatives" / "bidsmreye"
+    target_dir = tmp_path / "bidsmreye"
+    target_dir.mkdir()
+    shutil.copytree(src_dir, target_dir, dirs_exist_ok=True)
+
+    file_to_modify = (
+        target_dir
+        / "sub-9001"
+        / "ses-1"
+        / "func"
+        / "sub-9001_ses-1_task-rest_desc-bidsmreye_eyetrack.json"
+    )
+
+    with open(file_to_modify, "w") as f:
+        json.dump({"SamplingFrequency": 0.14285714285714285}, f)
+
+    cfg = Config(input_dir=target_dir, output_dir=target_dir.parent, subjects=["9001"])
+
+    group_report(cfg)
+
+    assert not (target_dir / "group_eyetrack.html").exists()
+
+
 def test_group_report_cli(tmp_path, data_dir):
 
     src_dir = data_dir / "derivatives" / "bidsmreye"