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 374cb0c..a216242 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
@@ -431,6 +431,12 @@
                     }
                     List<String> partitioningExprs = ((FeedDetailsDecl) 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 = ((FeedDetailsDecl) dd.getDatasetDetailsDecl()).getNodegroupName().getValue();
                     String adapter = ((FeedDetailsDecl) dd.getDatasetDetailsDecl()).getAdapterFactoryClassname();
                     Map<String, String> configuration = ((FeedDetailsDecl) dd.getDatasetDetailsDecl())
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java
index d4c8c34..b9b9524 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/file/DatasetOperations.java
@@ -148,17 +148,6 @@
             throw new AsterixException("Could not find dataset " + datasetName + " in datavetse " + dataverseName);
         }
         ARecordType itemType = (ARecordType) metadata.findType(dataverseName, dataset.getItemTypeName());
-        for (String keyField : DatasetUtils.getPartitioningKeys(dataset)) {
-            try {
-                if (!itemType.isClosedField(keyField)) {
-                    throw new AsterixException("Cannot partition dataset \"" + dataset.getDatasetName()
-                            + "\" by key \"" + keyField + "\" since it is not a valid field of \""
-                            + itemType.getTypeName() + "\"");
-                }
-            } catch (IOException e) {
-                throw new AsterixException(e);
-            }
-        }
         JobSpecification spec = new JobSpecification();
         IBinaryComparatorFactory[] comparatorFactories = DatasetUtils.computeKeysBinaryComparatorFactories(dataset,
                 itemType, format.getBinaryComparatorFactoryProvider());
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/queries/exception/issue_255_create_feed_error/issue_255_create_feed_error.1.ddl.aql b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/queries/exception/issue_255_create_feed_error/issue_255_create_feed_error.1.ddl.aql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..647b93a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/queries/exception/issue_255_create_feed_error/issue_255_create_feed_error.1.ddl.aql
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * Description  : create a dataset partitioned on non-existent field
+ * Expected Res : Failure
+ * Date         : 14 April 2013
+ * Issue        : 272
+ */
+
+drop dataverse feeds if exists;
+create dataverse feeds;
+use dataverse feeds;
+
+create type TweetType as closed {
+  id: string,
+  username : string,
+  location : string,
+  text : string,
+  timestamp : string
+}      
+
+create feed dataset TweetFeed(TweetType)
+using "edu.uci.ics.asterix.tools.external.data.RateControlledFileSystemBasedAdapterFactory"
+(("output-type-name"="TweetType"),("fs"="localfs"),("path"="nc1://data/twitter/obamatweets.adm"),("format"="adm"),("tuple-interval"="10"))
+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 74480d4..2a4eaa8 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/testsuite.xml
+++ b/asterix-app/src/test/resources/metadata/testsuite.xml
@@ -215,7 +215,13 @@
     <test-case FilePath="exception">
       <compilation-unit name="issue_255_create_dataset_error">
         <output-dir compare="Text">none</output-dir>
-        <expected-error>AlgebricksException</expected-error>
+        <expected-error>edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.common.exceptions.AlgebricksException</expected-error>
+      </compilation-unit>
+    </test-case>
+    <test-case FilePath="exception">
+      <compilation-unit name="issue_255_create_feed_error">
+        <output-dir compare="Text">none</output-dir>
+        <expected-error>edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.common.exceptions.AlgebricksException</expected-error>
       </compilation-unit>
     </test-case>
   </test-group>