diff --git a/src/steps/pre-query/parse-request-primary.js b/src/steps/pre-query/parse-request-primary.js
index 9ead5de0..0f84e8de 100644
--- a/src/steps/pre-query/parse-request-primary.js
+++ b/src/steps/pre-query/parse-request-primary.js
@@ -22,14 +22,24 @@ export default function(data, parseAsLinkage) {
     }
 
     catch (error) {
-      const title = "The resources you provided could not be parsed.";
-      const details = `The precise error was: "${error.message}".`;
-      reject(new APIError(400, undefined, title, details));
+      if (error instanceof APIError) {
+        reject(error);
+      }
+
+      else {
+        const title = "The resources you provided could not be parsed.";
+        const details = `The precise error was: "${error.message}".`;
+        reject(new APIError(400, undefined, title, details));
+      }
     }
   });
 }
 
 function relationshipObjectFromJSON(json) {
+  if (typeof json.data === "undefined") {
+    throw new APIError(400, undefined, `Missing relationship linkage.`);
+  }
+
   return new RelationshipObject(linkageFromJSON(json.data));
 }
 
@@ -41,8 +51,15 @@ function resourceFromJSON(json) {
   let relationships = json.relationships || {};
 
   //build RelationshipObjects
-  for(let key in relationships) {
-    relationships[key] = relationshipObjectFromJSON(relationships[key]);
+  let key;
+  try {
+    for(key in relationships) {
+      relationships[key] = relationshipObjectFromJSON(relationships[key], key);
+    }
+  }
+  catch (e) {
+    e.details = `No data was found for the ${key} relationship.`;
+    throw e;
   }
 
   return new Resource(json.type, json.id, json.attributes, relationships, json.meta);
diff --git a/test/integration/create-resource/index.js b/test/integration/create-resource/index.js
index 3ac9aec5..df693ab6 100644
--- a/test/integration/create-resource/index.js
+++ b/test/integration/create-resource/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import AgentPromise from "../../app/agent";
 import {
   ORG_RESOURCE_CLIENT_ID,
   VALID_ORG_RESOURCE_NO_ID_EXTRA_MEMBER,
-  VALID_SCHOOL_RESOURCE_NO_ID
+  VALID_SCHOOL_RESOURCE_NO_ID,
+  INVALID_ORG_RESOURCE_NO_DATA_IN_RELATIONSHIP
 } from "../fixtures/creation";
 
 describe("", () => {
@@ -106,6 +107,40 @@ describe("", () => {
   }).done();
 });
 
+describe("", () => {
+  AgentPromise.then((Agent) => {
+    Agent.request("POST", "/organizations")
+      .type("application/vnd.api+json")
+      .send({"data": INVALID_ORG_RESOURCE_NO_DATA_IN_RELATIONSHIP})
+      .promise()
+      .then(() => { throw new Error("Should not run!"); }, (err) => {
+        describe("Creating a Resource With a Missing Relationship Data Key", () => {
+          describe("HTTP", () => {
+            it("should return 400", () => {
+              expect(err.response.status).to.equal(400);
+            });
+          });
+
+          describe("Document Structure", () => {
+            it("should contain an error", () => {
+              expect(err.response.body.errors).to.be.an("array");
+            });
+          });
+
+          describe("Error", () => {
+            it("should have the correct title", () => {
+              expect(err.response.body.errors[0].title).to.be.equal("Missing relationship linkage.");
+            });
+
+            it("should have the correct details", () => {
+              expect(err.response.body.errors[0].details).to.be.equal("No data was found for the liaisons relationship.");
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      }).done();
+  }).done();
+});
+
     // "[S]erver implementations MUST ignore
     //  [members] not recognized by this specification."
     /*it("must ignore unrecognized request object members", (done) => {
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/creation.js b/test/integration/fixtures/creation.js
index b43ffccf..8231c14d 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/creation.js
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/creation.js
@@ -24,3 +24,12 @@ export const VALID_SCHOOL_RESOURCE_NO_ID = {
     "name": "Test School"
   }
 };
+
+export const INVALID_ORG_RESOURCE_NO_DATA_IN_RELATIONSHIP = {
+  "type": "organizations",
+  "relationships": {
+    "liaisons": {
+      "type": "people", "id": "53f54dd98d1e62ff12539db3"
+    }
+  }
+};