diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java
index 36fa09a14..a303125b3 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/AddOperation.java
@@ -15,11 +15,6 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
-import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.stream.Collectors;
-
-import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyPath;
-
 /**
  * Operation to add a new value to the given "path". Will throw a {@link PatchException} if the path is invalid or if
  * the given value is not assignable to the given path.
@@ -59,15 +54,6 @@ class AddOperation extends PatchOperation {
 			return super.evaluateValueFromTarget(targetObject, entityType);
 		}
 
-		String pathSource = Arrays.stream(path.split("/"))//
-				.filter(it -> !it.matches("\\d")) // no digits
-				.filter(it -> !it.equals("-")) // no "last element"s
-				.filter(it -> !it.isEmpty()) //
-				.collect(Collectors.joining("."));
-
-		PropertyPath propertyPath = PropertyPath.from(pathSource, entityType);
-
-		return value instanceof LateObjectEvaluator ? ((LateObjectEvaluator) value).evaluate(propertyPath.getType())
-				: value;
+		return evaluate(verifyPath(entityType).<Class<?>> map(it -> it.getType()).orElse(entityType));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java
index dcf404e0e..811734faa 100644
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/PatchOperation.java
@@ -17,11 +17,16 @@ package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
 import static org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch.PathToSpEL.*;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.springframework.core.CollectionFactory;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.TypeDescriptor;
+import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyPath;
+import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyReferenceException;
 import org.springframework.expression.Expression;
 import org.springframework.expression.ExpressionException;
 import org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException;
@@ -35,6 +40,8 @@ import org.springframework.expression.spel.SpelEvaluationException;
  */
 public abstract class PatchOperation {
 
+	private static final String INVALID_PATH_REFERENCE = "Invalid path reference %s on type %s (from source %s)!";
+
 	protected final String op;
 	protected final String path;
 	protected final Object value;
@@ -191,8 +198,39 @@ public abstract class PatchOperation {
 	 */
 	protected <T> Object evaluateValueFromTarget(Object targetObject, Class<T> entityType) {
 
-		return value instanceof LateObjectEvaluator
-				? ((LateObjectEvaluator) value).evaluate(spelExpression.getValueType(targetObject)) : value;
+		verifyPath(entityType);
+
+		return evaluate(spelExpression.getValueType(targetObject));
+	}
+
+	protected final <T> Object evaluate(Class<T> type) {
+		return value instanceof LateObjectEvaluator ? ((LateObjectEvaluator) value).evaluate(type) : value;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Verifies that the current path is available on the given type.
+	 * 
+	 * @param type must not be {@literal null}.
+	 * @return the {@link PropertyPath} representing the path. Empty if the path only consists of index lookups or append
+	 *         characters.
+	 */
+	protected final Optional<PropertyPath> verifyPath(Class<?> type) {
+
+		String pathSource = Arrays.stream(path.split("/"))//
+				.filter(it -> !it.matches("\\d")) // no digits
+				.filter(it -> !it.equals("-")) // no "last element"s
+				.filter(it -> !it.isEmpty()) //
+				.collect(Collectors.joining("."));
+
+		if (pathSource.isEmpty()) {
+			return Optional.empty();
+		}
+
+		try {
+			return Optional.of(PropertyPath.from(pathSource, type));
+		} catch (PropertyReferenceException o_O) {
+			throw new PatchException(String.format(INVALID_PATH_REFERENCE, pathSource, type, path), o_O);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/JsonPatchTests.java b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/JsonPatchTests.java
index 3b178e69a..55d9e2af7 100755
--- a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/JsonPatchTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/JsonPatchTests.java
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ public class JsonPatchTests {
 		patch.apply(todo, Todo.class);
 	}
 
+	@Test(expected = PatchException.class) // DATAREST-1127
+	public void rejectsInvalidPaths() throws Exception {
+		readJsonPatch("patch-invalid-path.json").apply(new Todo(), Todo.class);
+	}
+
 	private Patch readJsonPatch(String jsonPatchFile) throws IOException, JsonParseException, JsonMappingException {
 
 		ClassPathResource resource = new ClassPathResource(jsonPatchFile, getClass());
diff --git a/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/patch-invalid-path.json b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/patch-invalid-path.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98c32f6e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-data-rest-webmvc/src/test/resources/org/springframework/data/rest/webmvc/json/patch/patch-invalid-path.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[
+	{"op":"replace", "path":"/somethingInvalid", "value": "bar" }
+]