diff --git a/src/engine.cc b/src/engine.cc
index 31f8301887..423206640e 100644
--- a/src/engine.cc
+++ b/src/engine.cc
@@ -357,7 +357,8 @@ void EngineLoop::CmdIsReady() {
   SendResponse("readyok");
 }
 
-void EngineLoop::CmdSetOption(const std::string& name, const std::string& value,
+void EngineLoop::CmdSetOption(const std::string& name, 
+                              const std::string& value,
                               const std::string& context) {
   options_.SetUciOption(name, value, context);
   // Set the log filename for the case it was set in UCI option.
diff --git a/src/utils/optionsparser.cc b/src/utils/optionsparser.cc
index 64fb0c2d4d..bc099c7234 100644
--- a/src/utils/optionsparser.cc
+++ b/src/utils/optionsparser.cc
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include "utils/commandline.h"
 #include "utils/configfile.h"
@@ -64,17 +66,34 @@ std::vector<std::string> OptionsParser::ListOptionsUci() const {
   return result;
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> SplitString(const std::string& str, char delimiter) {
+    std::vector<std::string> tokens;
+    std::string token;
+    std::istringstream tokenStream(str);
+    while (std::getline(tokenStream, token, delimiter)) {
+        tokens.push_back(token);
+    }
+    return tokens;
+}
+
 void OptionsParser::SetUciOption(const std::string& name,
                                  const std::string& value,
                                  const std::string& context) {
-  auto option = FindOptionByUciName(name);
-  if (option) {
-    option->SetValue(value, GetMutableOptions(context));
-    return;
-  }
-  throw Exception("Unknown option: " + name);
+   if (name.empty()) {
+      throw Exception("An option name must be provided");
+    } else {
+            auto option = FindOptionByUciName(name);
+            if (option) {
+            option->SetValue(value, GetMutableOptions(context));
+            } else {
+            // If name is not valid throw an error.
+            throw Exception("Unknown option: " + name);
+            }
+        return;
+    }
 }
 
+                                 
 void OptionsParser::HideOption(const OptionId& id) {
   const auto option = FindOptionById(id);
   if (option) option->hidden_ = true;