diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/aql/translator/AqlTranslator.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/aql/translator/AqlTranslator.java
index 976ec7c..374cb0c 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/aql/translator/AqlTranslator.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/aql/translator/AqlTranslator.java
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.Index;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.InternalDatasetDetails;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.metadata.entities.NodeGroup;
+import edu.uci.ics.asterix.om.types.ARecordType;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.om.types.ATypeTag;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.om.types.IAType;
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.om.types.TypeSignature;
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@
 
         String dataverseName = null;
         String datasetName = null;
+        Dataset dataset = null;
         try {
             DatasetDecl dd = (DatasetDecl) stmt;
             dataverseName = dd.getDataverse() != null ? dd.getDataverse().getValue()
@@ -404,6 +406,12 @@
                     }
                     List<String> partitioningExprs = ((InternalDetailsDecl) dd.getDatasetDetailsDecl())
                             .getPartitioningExprs();
+                    for (String s : partitioningExprs) {
+                        ARecordType aRecordType = (ARecordType) itemType;
+                        if (!aRecordType.doesFieldExist(s)) {
+                            throw new AlgebricksException("A field with this name " + s + " could not be found.");
+                        }
+                    }
                     String ngName = ((InternalDetailsDecl) dd.getDatasetDetailsDecl()).getNodegroupName().getValue();
                     datasetDetails = new InternalDatasetDetails(InternalDatasetDetails.FileStructure.BTREE,
                             InternalDatasetDetails.PartitioningStrategy.HASH, partitioningExprs, partitioningExprs,
@@ -436,8 +444,8 @@
             }
 
             //#. add a new dataset with PendingAddOp
-            Dataset dataset = new Dataset(dataverseName, datasetName, itemTypeName, datasetDetails, dd.getHints(),
-                    dsType, DatasetIdFactory.generateDatasetId(), IMetadataEntity.PENDING_ADD_OP);
+            dataset = new Dataset(dataverseName, datasetName, itemTypeName, datasetDetails, dd.getHints(), dsType,
+                    DatasetIdFactory.generateDatasetId(), IMetadataEntity.PENDING_ADD_OP);
             MetadataManager.INSTANCE.addDataset(metadataProvider.getMetadataTxnContext(), dataset);
 
             if (dd.getDatasetType() == DatasetType.INTERNAL || dd.getDatasetType() == DatasetType.FEED) {
@@ -470,35 +478,37 @@
                 MetadataManager.INSTANCE.abortTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
             }
 
-            //#. execute compensation operations
-            //   remove the index in NC
-            mdTxnCtx = MetadataManager.INSTANCE.beginTransaction();
-            bActiveTxn = true;
-            metadataProvider.setMetadataTxnContext(mdTxnCtx);
-            CompiledDatasetDropStatement cds = new CompiledDatasetDropStatement(dataverseName, datasetName);
-            try {
-                JobSpecification jobSpec = DatasetOperations.createDropDatasetJobSpec(cds, metadataProvider);
-                MetadataManager.INSTANCE.commitTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
-                bActiveTxn = false;
+            if (dataset != null) {
+                //#. execute compensation operations
+                //   remove the index in NC
+                mdTxnCtx = MetadataManager.INSTANCE.beginTransaction();
+                bActiveTxn = true;
+                metadataProvider.setMetadataTxnContext(mdTxnCtx);
+                CompiledDatasetDropStatement cds = new CompiledDatasetDropStatement(dataverseName, datasetName);
+                try {
+                    JobSpecification jobSpec = DatasetOperations.createDropDatasetJobSpec(cds, metadataProvider);
+                    MetadataManager.INSTANCE.commitTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
+                    bActiveTxn = false;
 
-                runJob(hcc, jobSpec, true);
-            } catch (Exception e3) {
-                if (bActiveTxn) {
-                    MetadataManager.INSTANCE.abortTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
+                    runJob(hcc, jobSpec, true);
+                } catch (Exception e3) {
+                    if (bActiveTxn) {
+                        MetadataManager.INSTANCE.abortTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
+                    }
+                    //do no throw exception since still the metadata needs to be compensated. 
                 }
-                //do no throw exception since still the metadata needs to be compensated. 
-            }
 
-            //   remove the record from the metadata.
-            mdTxnCtx = MetadataManager.INSTANCE.beginTransaction();
-            metadataProvider.setMetadataTxnContext(mdTxnCtx);
-            try {
-                MetadataManager.INSTANCE.dropDataset(metadataProvider.getMetadataTxnContext(), dataverseName,
-                        datasetName);
-                MetadataManager.INSTANCE.commitTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
-            } catch (Exception e2) {
-                MetadataManager.INSTANCE.abortTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
-                throw new AlgebricksException(e2);
+                //   remove the record from the metadata.
+                mdTxnCtx = MetadataManager.INSTANCE.beginTransaction();
+                metadataProvider.setMetadataTxnContext(mdTxnCtx);
+                try {
+                    MetadataManager.INSTANCE.dropDataset(metadataProvider.getMetadataTxnContext(), dataverseName,
+                            datasetName);
+                    MetadataManager.INSTANCE.commitTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
+                } catch (Exception e2) {
+                    MetadataManager.INSTANCE.abortTransaction(mdTxnCtx);
+                    throw new AlgebricksException(e2);
+                }
             }
 
             throw new AlgebricksException(e);
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/queries/exception/issue_255_create_dataset_error/issue_255_create_dataset_error.1.ddl.aql b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/queries/exception/issue_255_create_dataset_error/issue_255_create_dataset_error.1.ddl.aql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32ccf6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/queries/exception/issue_255_create_dataset_error/issue_255_create_dataset_error.1.ddl.aql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/*
+ * Description  : create a dataset partitioned on non-existent field
+ * Expected Res : Failure
+ * Date         : 14 April 2013
+ * Issue        : 272
+ */
+
+drop dataverse test if exists;
+create dataverse test;
+use dataverse test;
+
+create type opentype as open {
+id:int32
+}
+
+create dataset testds(opentype) primary key name;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/testsuite.xml b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/testsuite.xml
index d4fb915..74480d4 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/testsuite.xml
+++ b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/testsuite.xml
@@ -212,6 +212,12 @@
         <expected-error>AsterixException</expected-error>
       </compilation-unit>
     </test-case>
+    <test-case FilePath="exception">
+      <compilation-unit name="issue_255_create_dataset_error">
+        <output-dir compare="Text">none</output-dir>
+        <expected-error>AlgebricksException</expected-error>
+      </compilation-unit>
+    </test-case>
   </test-group>
   <test-group name="transaction">
     <test-case FilePath="transaction">
@@ -233,4 +239,4 @@
       </compilation-unit>
     </test-case>
   </test-group>
-</test-suite>
+</test-suite>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/om/types/ARecordType.java b/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/om/types/ARecordType.java
index dc0afcd..8625032 100644
--- a/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/om/types/ARecordType.java
+++ b/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/om/types/ARecordType.java
@@ -238,6 +238,15 @@
         return findFieldPosition(fieldName) != -1;
     }
 
+    public boolean doesFieldExist(String fieldName) {
+        for (String f : fieldNames) {
+            if (f.compareTo(fieldName) == 0) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String getDisplayName() {
         return "ARecord";
@@ -274,6 +283,7 @@
         }
         return h;
     }
+
     @Override
     public JSONObject toJSON() throws JSONException {
         JSONObject type = new JSONObject();