diff --git a/ceilometer/hardware/pollsters/generic.py b/ceilometer/hardware/pollsters/generic.py
index 1a6c9757..b0780479 100644
--- a/ceilometer/hardware/pollsters/generic.py
+++ b/ceilometer/hardware/pollsters/generic.py
@@ -258,6 +258,11 @@ def setup_meters_config():
 def load_definition(config_def):
     mappings = {}
     for meter_def in config_def.get('metric', []):
-        meter = MeterDefinition(meter_def)
-        mappings[meter.name] = meter
+        try:
+            meter = MeterDefinition(meter_def)
+            mappings[meter.name] = meter
+        except MeterDefinitionException as me:
+            errmsg = (_LE("Error loading meter definition : %(err)s")
+                      % dict(err=me.message))
+            LOG.error(errmsg)
     return mappings
diff --git a/ceilometer/tests/unit/hardware/pollsters/test_generic.py b/ceilometer/tests/unit/hardware/pollsters/test_generic.py
index 633cd24a..8cf687f4 100644
--- a/ceilometer/tests/unit/hardware/pollsters/test_generic.py
+++ b/ceilometer/tests/unit/hardware/pollsters/test_generic.py
@@ -65,6 +65,26 @@ class TestMeterDefinition(test_base.BaseTestCase):
         except generic.MeterDefinitionException as e:
             self.assertEqual("Unrecognized type value invalid", e.message)
 
+    @mock.patch('ceilometer.hardware.pollsters.generic.LOG')
+    def test_bad_metric_skip(self, LOG):
+        cfg = {'metric': [dict(name='test1',
+                               type='gauge',
+                               unit='B',
+                               snmp_inspector={}),
+                          dict(name='test_bad',
+                               type='invalid',
+                               unit='B',
+                               snmp_inspector={}),
+                          dict(name='test2',
+                               type='gauge',
+                               unit='B',
+                               snmp_inspector={})]}
+        data = generic.load_definition(cfg)
+        self.assertEqual(2, len(data))
+        LOG.error.assert_called_with(
+            "Error loading meter definition : "
+            "Unrecognized type value invalid")
+
 
 class FakeInspector(inspector_base.Inspector):
     net_metadata = dict(name='test.teest',