diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PersistentEntity.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PersistentEntity.java
index f8d2e75ee..010d26f49 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PersistentEntity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PersistentEntity.java
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ public interface PersistentEntity<T, P extends PersistentProperty<P>> {
 	 */
 	Optional<P> getPersistentProperty(String name);
 
+	P getRequiredPersistentProperty(String name);
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns the property equipped with an annotation of the given type.
 	 * 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/model/BasicPersistentEntity.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/model/BasicPersistentEntity.java
index 4b2568e7e..fc99f653f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/model/BasicPersistentEntity.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/model/BasicPersistentEntity.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class BasicPersistentEntity<T, P extends PersistentProperty<P>> implement
 		this.properties = new ArrayList<>();
 		this.comparator = comparator;
 		this.constructor = new PreferredConstructorDiscoverer<>(this).getConstructor();
-		this.associations = comparator.<Set<Association<P>>>map(it -> new TreeSet<>(new AssociationComparator<>(it)))
+		this.associations = comparator.<Set<Association<P>>> map(it -> new TreeSet<>(new AssociationComparator<>(it)))
 				.orElseGet(() -> new HashSet<>());
 
 		this.propertyCache = new HashMap<>();
@@ -273,6 +273,17 @@ public class BasicPersistentEntity<T, P extends PersistentProperty<P>> implement
 		return Optional.ofNullable(propertyCache.get(name));
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.springframework.data.mapping.PersistentEntity#getRequiredPersistentProperty(java.lang.String)
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public P getRequiredPersistentProperty(String name) {
+
+		return getPersistentProperty(name).orElseThrow(
+				() -> new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("No property %s found for type %s!", name, getType())));
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * (non-Javadoc)
 	 * @see org.springframework.data.mapping.PersistentEntity#getPersistentProperty(java.lang.Class)