diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/change/CreateChange.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/change/CreateChange.java
index 9be1070..b6a242c 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/change/CreateChange.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/change/CreateChange.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@
 import java.util.TimeZone;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.ConfigInvalidException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.InvalidObjectIdException;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.MissingObjectException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.NoMergeBaseException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.NoMergeBaseException.MergeBaseFailureReason;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.CommitBuilder;
@@ -362,7 +363,12 @@
             String.format("Base %s doesn't represent a valid SHA-1", baseCommit));
       }
 
-      RevCommit parentRevCommit = revWalk.parseCommit(parentCommit);
+      RevCommit parentRevCommit;
+      try {
+        parentRevCommit = revWalk.parseCommit(parentCommit);
+      } catch (MissingObjectException e) {
+        throw new UnprocessableEntityException(String.format("Base %s doesn't exist", baseCommit));
+      }
 
       if (destRef == null) {
         throw new BadRequestException("Destination branch does not exist");
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java
index bd1c882..10428c5 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/CreateChangeIT.java
@@ -246,6 +246,16 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void createChangeWithNonExistingParentCommitFails() throws Exception {
+    ChangeInput input = newChangeInput(ChangeStatus.NEW);
+    input.baseCommit = "deadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeef";
+    assertCreateFails(
+        input,
+        UnprocessableEntityException.class,
+        String.format("Base %s doesn't exist", input.baseCommit));
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void createChangeWithParentCommitOnWrongBranchFails() throws Exception {
     Map<String, PushOneCommit.Result> setup =
         changeInTwoBranches("foo", "foo.txt", "bar", "bar.txt");