diff --git a/source/source_hsolver/module_genelpa/utils.cpp b/source/source_hsolver/module_genelpa/utils.cpp
index d9e6e74c59..f77247f1c8 100644
--- a/source/source_hsolver/module_genelpa/utils.cpp
+++ b/source/source_hsolver/module_genelpa/utils.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,15 @@ void loadMatrix(const char FileName[], int nFull, double* a, int* desca, int bla
     const int ROOT_PROC = 0;
     std::ifstream matrixFile;
     if (myid == ROOT_PROC)
+    {
         matrixFile.open(FileName);
+        if (!matrixFile.is_open())
+        {
+            std::cerr << "Error: failed to open matrix file '" << FileName
+                      << "' in loadMatrix()." << std::endl;
+            MPI_Abort(MPI_COMM_WORLD, 1);
+        }
+    }
 
     double* b; // buffer
     const int MAX_BUFFER_SIZE = 1e9; // max buffer size is 1GB