diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/exceptions/ErrorCode.java b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/exceptions/ErrorCode.java
index 2a6efd5..e59c379 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/exceptions/ErrorCode.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/exceptions/ErrorCode.java
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
     public static final int PROPERTY_NOT_SET = 14;
     public static final int ROOT_LOCAL_RESOURCE_EXISTS = 15;
     public static final int ROOT_LOCAL_RESOURCE_COULD_NOT_BE_CREATED = 16;
+    public static final int UNKNOWN_EXTERNAL_FILE_PENDING_OP = 17;
     public static final int INSTANTIATION_ERROR = 100;
 
     // Compilation errors
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/resources/asx_errormsg/en.properties b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/resources/asx_errormsg/en.properties
index 9b2ad8a..487758c 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/resources/asx_errormsg/en.properties
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/resources/asx_errormsg/en.properties
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 14 = Property %1$s not set
 15 = Storage metadata directory of %1$s in %2$s already exists
 16 = Storage metadata directory of %1$s in %2$s couldn't be created
+17 = Unknown external file pending operation %1$s
 100 = Unable to instantiate class %1$s
 
 # Compile-time check errors
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-external-data/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/external/operators/ExternalFilesIndexModificationOperatorDescriptor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-external-data/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/external/operators/ExternalFilesIndexModificationOperatorDescriptor.java
index 684cb15..f4fb455 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-external-data/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/external/operators/ExternalFilesIndexModificationOperatorDescriptor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-external-data/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/external/operators/ExternalFilesIndexModificationOperatorDescriptor.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.apache.asterix.common.exceptions.ErrorCode;
 import org.apache.asterix.external.indexing.ExternalFile;
 import org.apache.asterix.external.indexing.FileIndexTupleTranslator;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.comm.IFrameWriter;
@@ -59,8 +60,6 @@
     public IOperatorNodePushable createPushRuntime(IHyracksTaskContext ctx,
             IRecordDescriptorProvider recordDescProvider, int partition, int nPartitions) throws HyracksDataException {
         return new AbstractOperatorNodePushable() {
-
-            @SuppressWarnings("incomplete-switch")
             @Override
             public void initialize() throws HyracksDataException {
                 final IIndexDataflowHelper indexHelper = dataflowHelperFactory.create(ctx, partition);
@@ -86,7 +85,8 @@
                             case NO_OP:
                                 break;
                             default:
-                                throw new HyracksDataException("Unknown pending op " + file.getPendingOp());
+                                throw HyracksDataException.create(ErrorCode.UNKNOWN_EXTERNAL_FILE_PENDING_OP,
+                                        file.getPendingOp());
                         }
                     }
                     bulkLoader.end();