diff --git a/restream/core.go b/restream/core.go
index e4105ca3..935565a2 100644
--- a/restream/core.go
+++ b/restream/core.go
@@ -685,10 +685,16 @@ func (r *restream) onBeforeStart(cfg *app.Config) func([]string) ([]string, erro
 		if t, token, hasTask := r.tasks.Load(cfg.ProcessID()); hasTask {
 			t.SetHWDevice(selectedGPU)
 			t.Release(token)
+		} else {
+			return []string{}, fmt.Errorf("process with the ID '%s' not found", cfg.ProcessID())
 		}
 
 		config := cfg.Clone()
 
+		if selectedGPU == -1 && hasPlaceholder(config, r.replace, "hwdevice") {
+			return []string{}, fmt.Errorf("no hwdevice found, either not available or no resources requested")
+		}
+
 		resolveDynamicPlaceholder(config, r.replace, map[string]string{
 			"hwdevice": fmt.Sprintf("%d", selectedGPU),
 		}, map[string]string{
@@ -1865,3 +1871,52 @@ func resolveDynamicPlaceholder(config *app.Config, r replace.Replacer, values ma
 		config.Output[i] = output
 	}
 }
+
+// hasPlaceholder checks whether the config has the specified placeholder
+func hasPlaceholder(config *app.Config, r replace.Replacer, placeholder string) bool {
+	for _, option := range config.Options {
+		if r.Has(option, placeholder) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, input := range config.Input {
+		if r.Has(input.ID, placeholder) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if r.Has(input.Address, placeholder) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		for _, option := range input.Options {
+			if r.Has(option, placeholder) {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, output := range config.Output {
+		if r.Has(output.ID, placeholder) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if r.Has(output.Address, placeholder) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		for _, option := range output.Options {
+			if r.Has(option, placeholder) {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+
+		for _, cleanup := range output.Cleanup {
+			if r.Has(cleanup.Pattern, placeholder) {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/restream/replace/replace.go b/restream/replace/replace.go
index 016978e7..f526183d 100644
--- a/restream/replace/replace.go
+++ b/restream/replace/replace.go
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ type Replacer interface {
 	// A placeholder name may consist on of the letters a-z and ':'. The placeholder may contain
 	// a glob pattern to find the appropriate template.
 	Replace(str, placeholder, value string, vars map[string]string, config *app.Config, section string) string
+
+	// Has returns whether the string contains the placeholder
+	Has(str, placeholder string) bool
 }
 
 type replace struct {
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ func (r *replacer) Replace(str, placeholder, value string, vars map[string]strin
 			}
 		}
 
-		params := r.parseParametes(matches[3], vars, repl.defaults)
+		params := r.parseParameters(matches[3], vars, repl.defaults)
 
 		v = repl.fn(params, config, section)
 
@@ -100,12 +103,31 @@ func (r *replacer) Replace(str, placeholder, value string, vars map[string]strin
 	return str
 }
 
-// parseParametes parses the parameters of a placeholder. The params string is a comma-separated
+func (r *replacer) Has(str, placeholder string) bool {
+	matches := r.re.FindAllStringSubmatch(str, -1)
+	if len(matches) == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	for _, match := range matches {
+		if ok, _ := glob.Match(placeholder, match[1], ':'); ok {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if match[1] == placeholder {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+// parseParameters parses the parameters of a placeholder. The params string is a comma-separated
 // string of key=value pairs. The key and values can be escaped with an \.
 // The provided defaults will be used as basis. Any parsed key/value from the params might overwrite
 // the default value. Any variables in the values will be replaced by their value from the
 // vars parameter.
-func (r *replacer) parseParametes(params string, vars map[string]string, defaults map[string]string) map[string]string {
+func (r *replacer) parseParameters(params string, vars map[string]string, defaults map[string]string) map[string]string {
 	reSpace := regexp.MustCompile(`^\s+`)
 
 	p := make(map[string]string)
diff --git a/restream/replace/replace_test.go b/restream/replace/replace_test.go
index 59a42e5e..4f649a81 100644
--- a/restream/replace/replace_test.go
+++ b/restream/replace/replace_test.go
@@ -172,7 +172,18 @@ func TestParseParams(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
-		params := r.parseParametes(test[0], nil, map[string]string{"foobar": "def"})
+		params := r.parseParameters(test[0], nil, map[string]string{"foobar": "def"})
 		require.Equal(t, test[1], params["foobar"])
 	}
 }
+
+func TestReplaceHas(t *testing.T) {
+	r := New()
+
+	require.True(t, r.Has("{foobar}", "foobar"))
+	require.False(t, r.Has("{foobar}", "barfoo"))
+	require.True(t, r.Has("{foobar^:}", "foobar"))
+	require.False(t, r.Has("{foobar^:.}", "foobar"))
+	require.True(t, r.Has("{foobar^:,hello=world}", "foobar"))
+	require.True(t, r.Has("{foobar:bla}", "foobar:*"))
+}