diff --git a/yente/routers/reconcile.py b/yente/routers/reconcile.py
index 20b58941..7308f563 100644
--- a/yente/routers/reconcile.py
+++ b/yente/routers/reconcile.py
@@ -183,8 +183,11 @@ async def reconcile_query(
         properties[prop.name].append(p.get("v"))
 
     example = EntityExample(id=None, schema=schema, properties=dict(properties))
-    proxy = Entity.from_example(example)
-    query = entity_query(dataset, proxy, fuzzy=False, changed_since=changed_since)
+    try:
+        proxy = Entity.from_example(example)
+        query = entity_query(dataset, proxy, fuzzy=False, changed_since=changed_since)
+    except Exception as exc:
+        raise HTTPException(400, detail=str(exc))
     resp = await search_entities(provider, query, limit=limit, offset=offset)
     algorithm_ = get_algorithm_by_name(algorithm)
     entities = result_entities(resp)
diff --git a/yente/search/queries.py b/yente/search/queries.py
index 7bc2fbe3..49d33c0d 100644
--- a/yente/search/queries.py
+++ b/yente/search/queries.py
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ def entity_query(
     exclude_dataset: List[str] = [],
     changed_since: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Clause:
+    if not entity.schema.matchable:
+        raise TypeError("Schema is not matchable: %s" % entity.schema.name)
+
     shoulds: List[Clause] = names_query(entity, fuzzy=fuzzy)
     for prop, value in entity.itervalues():
         if prop.type == registry.name or not prop.matchable: