diff --git a/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/main/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResource.java b/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/main/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResource.java
index 5965392cc612..878aaa13e17d 100644
--- a/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/main/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResource.java
+++ b/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/main/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResource.java
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 package io.imply.druid.ingest.server;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
-import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
@@ -168,7 +167,9 @@ public Response stageIngestJob(
       @PathParam("table") String tableName
   )
   {
-    Preconditions.checkArgument(metadataStore.druidTableExists(tableName));
+    if (!metadataStore.druidTableExists(tableName)) {
+      return Response.status(Response.Status.NOT_FOUND).build();
+    }
     // make jobId uuid, generate URL for file dropoff
     // write staging job to somewhere with 'staged' state
     final JobRunner jobTypeToUse = jobType != null ? jobType : new BatchAppendJobRunner();
diff --git a/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/test/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResourceTest.java b/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/test/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResourceTest.java
index 6561bb5acef3..03df497d00e2 100644
--- a/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/test/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResourceTest.java
+++ b/extensions-imply/ingest-service/src/test/java/io/imply/druid/ingest/server/TablesResourceTest.java
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-
 public class TablesResourceTest
 {
   private static final String TABLE = "test";
@@ -100,7 +99,7 @@ public void teardown()
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void testStageJob() throws URISyntaxException
+  public void testStageJobShoulWorkWhenTableExists() throws URISyntaxException
   {
     // expectAuthorizationTokenCheck(); see resource filter annotations are not called when testing in this manner
     // see https://github.com/apache/druid/issues/6685
@@ -123,7 +122,25 @@ public void testStageJob() throws URISyntaxException
 
     Assert.assertEquals(200, response.getStatus());
   }
-  
+
+  @Test
+  public void testStageJobShoulReturn404WhenTableDoesNotExist()
+  {
+    // expectAuthorizationTokenCheck(); see resource filter annotations are not called when testing in this manner
+    // see https://github.com/apache/druid/issues/6685
+    String id = UUIDUtils.generateUuid();
+    EasyMock.expect(metadataStore.druidTableExists(EasyMock.eq(TABLE))).andReturn(false).once();
+
+    EasyMock.replay(fileStore, metadataStore, req);
+
+    Response response = tablesResource.stageIngestJob(null, TABLE);
+
+    Map<String, Object> responseEntity = (Map<String, Object>) response.getEntity();
+
+    Assert.assertEquals(404, response.getStatus());
+  }
+
+
   @Test
   public void testScheduleIngestJobShouldSucceedWhenJobExists()
   {