diff --git a/sigma/correlations.py b/sigma/correlations.py
index daf2c6e4..201d6529 100644
--- a/sigma/correlations.py
+++ b/sigma/correlations.py
@@ -522,7 +522,16 @@ def from_dict(
         source: SigmaRuleLocation | None = None,
     ) -> Self:
         kwargs, errors = super().from_dict_common_params(rule, collect_errors, source)
-        correlation_rule = rule.get("correlation", dict())
+        correlation_rule: Any = rule.get("correlation", dict())
+        if not isinstance(correlation_rule, dict):
+            errors.append(
+                sigma_exceptions.SigmaCorrelationRuleError(
+                    "Sigma correlation rule 'correlation' field must be a dict", source=source
+                )
+            )
+            if not collect_errors:
+                raise errors[0]
+            correlation_rule = dict()
 
         # Correlation type
         correlation_type = correlation_rule.get("type")
@@ -625,7 +634,9 @@ def from_dict(
 
         # Condition - can be either a dict (basic condition) or a string (extended condition)
         condition_value = correlation_rule.get("condition")
-        condition: SigmaCorrelationCondition | SigmaExtendedCorrelationCondition
+        condition: SigmaCorrelationCondition | SigmaExtendedCorrelationCondition = (
+            SigmaCorrelationCondition(SigmaCorrelationConditionOperator.GTE, 1)
+        )
 
         if condition_value is not None:
             if isinstance(condition_value, dict):
diff --git a/tests/test_correlations.py b/tests/test_correlations.py
index dd0bf225..4beab164 100644
--- a/tests/test_correlations.py
+++ b/tests/test_correlations.py
@@ -184,6 +184,23 @@ def test_correlation_wrong_type():
         )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("bad_correlation", [None, "not-a-dict", 123, []])
+def test_correlation_field_not_a_dict_raises(bad_correlation):
+    with pytest.raises(SigmaCorrelationRuleError, match="'correlation' field must be a dict"):
+        SigmaCorrelationRule.from_dict(
+            {"title": "Invalid correlation", "correlation": bad_correlation}
+        )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("bad_correlation", [None, "not-a-dict", 123, []])
+def test_correlation_field_not_a_dict_collect_errors(bad_correlation):
+    rule = SigmaCorrelationRule.from_dict(
+        {"title": "Invalid correlation", "correlation": bad_correlation},
+        collect_errors=True,
+    )
+    assert any("'correlation' field must be a dict" in str(error) for error in rule.errors)
+
+
 def test_correlation_without_type():
     with pytest.raises(SigmaCorrelationTypeError, match="Sigma correlation rule without type"):
         SigmaCorrelationRule.from_dict(
@@ -1343,3 +1360,37 @@ def test_correlation_condition_non_dict_non_string():
         - invalid
         - list_condition
         """)
+
+
+def test_correlation_extended_condition_wrong_type_collect_errors():
+    """collect_errors=True must return the error instead of raising an UnboundLocalError
+    when an extended (string) condition is used with a non-temporal correlation type."""
+    rule = SigmaCorrelationRule.from_yaml(
+        """
+title: Test correlation
+status: test
+correlation:
+    type: event_count
+    rules:
+        - test_rule
+    timespan: 5m
+    condition: "count() > 5"
+        """,
+        collect_errors=True,
+    )
+    assert {error.__class__ for error in rule.errors} == {SigmaCorrelationRuleError}
+
+
+def test_correlation_extended_condition_wrong_type_raises():
+    """Without collect_errors the error is raised instead of silently swallowed."""
+    with pytest.raises(SigmaCorrelationRuleError, match="only be used with temporal"):
+        SigmaCorrelationRule.from_yaml("""
+title: Test correlation
+status: test
+correlation:
+    type: event_count
+    rules:
+        - test_rule
+    timespan: 5m
+    condition: "count() > 5"
+        """)