diff --git a/admin/sitegen b/admin/sitegen
--- a/admin/sitegen
+++ b/admin/sitegen
@@ -1,35 +1,38 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 # standard invocation of sitegen.py
 
 set -e
 
 source "$(dirname "$0")/common"
 
 while getopts "t:r:p" OPT
 do
     case "$OPT" in
       r)
         VERSION="$OPTARG"
         ;;
       t)
         ISABELLE_TOOL="$OPTARG"
         ;;
     esac
 done
 shift $((OPTIND-1))
 
 set_isabelle_tool
 
+echo "Checking metadata..."
+"$ISABELLE_TOOL" afp_check_metadata || exit 2
+
 echo "Checking ROOTs ..."
 "$ISABELLE_TOOL" afp_check_roots -C check_chapter,check_groups,check_presence,check_timeout || exit 2
 
 echo "Building Isabelle components ..."
 
 echo "Running sitegen ..."
 
 "$ISABELLE_TOOL" afp_site_gen \
   -f \
   -H "$AFP_ROOT/out/hugo" \
   -O "$AFP_ROOT/web" \
   "$@"