diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/search/sort/FieldSortIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/search/sort/FieldSortIT.java
index 976f128a7976d..fdb12639c65be 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/search/sort/FieldSortIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/search/sort/FieldSortIT.java
@@ -1080,11 +1080,7 @@ public void testSortMissingNumbers() throws Exception {
         SearchRequestBuilder searchRequestBuilder = client().prepareSearch()
             .setQuery(matchAllQuery())
             .addSort(SortBuilders.fieldSort("u_value").order(SortOrder.ASC).missing(randomBoolean() ? -1 : "-1"));
-        assertFailures(
-            searchRequestBuilder,
-            RestStatus.BAD_REQUEST,
-            containsString("missing value of type [unsigned_long] must not be negative")
-        );
+        assertFailures(searchRequestBuilder, RestStatus.BAD_REQUEST, containsString("Value [-1] is out of range for an unsigned long"));
     }
 
     public void testSortMissingNumbersMinMax() throws Exception {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/fielddata/fieldcomparator/UnsignedLongValuesComparatorSource.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/fielddata/fieldcomparator/UnsignedLongValuesComparatorSource.java
index 0aa137c871391..9db5817450cd0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/fielddata/fieldcomparator/UnsignedLongValuesComparatorSource.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/fielddata/fieldcomparator/UnsignedLongValuesComparatorSource.java
@@ -81,15 +81,11 @@ public Object missingObject(Object missingValue, boolean reversed) {
             return min ? Numbers.MIN_UNSIGNED_LONG_VALUE : Numbers.MAX_UNSIGNED_LONG_VALUE;
         } else {
             if (missingValue instanceof Number) {
-                long ul = ((Number) missingValue).longValue();
-                if (ul < 0) {
-                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("missing value of type [unsigned_long] must not be negative");
-                }
-                return BigInteger.valueOf(ul);
+                return Numbers.toUnsignedLongExact((Number) missingValue);
             } else {
                 BigInteger missing = new BigInteger(missingValue.toString());
                 if (missing.signum() < 0) {
-                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("missing value of type [unsigned_long] must not be negative");
+                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value [" + missingValue + "] is out of range for an unsigned long");
                 }
                 return missing;
             }