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 124941117..4238782b0 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 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.List;
-
 import org.springframework.data.mapping.PropertyPath;
-import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * Operation to add a new value to the given "path". Will throw a {@link PatchException} if the path is invalid or if
@@ -60,17 +56,8 @@ class AddOperation extends PatchOperation {
 			return super.evaluateValueFromTarget(targetObject, entityType);
 		}
 
-		List<String> segments = new ArrayList<String>();
+		PropertyPath path = verifyPath(entityType);
 
-		for (String segment : path.split("/")) {
-			if (!(segment.matches("\\d+") || segment.equals("-") || segment.isEmpty())) {
-				segments.add(segment);
-			}
-		}
-
-		PropertyPath propertyPath = PropertyPath.from(StringUtils.collectionToDelimitedString(segments, "."), entityType);
-
-		return value instanceof LateObjectEvaluator ? ((LateObjectEvaluator) value).evaluate(propertyPath.getType())
-				: value;
+		return evaluate(path == null ? entityType : path.getType());
 	}
 }
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 aa35ea499..3d06c772d 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
@@ -17,14 +17,18 @@ package org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch;
 
 import static org.springframework.data.rest.webmvc.json.patch.PathToSpEL.*;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 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;
+import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * Abstract base class representing and providing support methods for patch operations.
@@ -35,6 +39,8 @@ 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;
@@ -193,8 +199,13 @@ 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> targetType) {
+		return value instanceof LateObjectEvaluator ? ((LateObjectEvaluator) value).evaluate(targetType) : value;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -219,4 +230,32 @@ public abstract class PatchOperation {
 			return null;
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Verifies, that the path for the current operation is a valid property path on the given target type.
+	 * 
+	 * @param type must not be {@literal null}.
+	 */
+	protected PropertyPath verifyPath(Class<?> type) {
+
+		List<String> segments = new ArrayList<String>();
+
+		for (String segment : path.split("/")) {
+			if (!(segment.matches("\\d+") || segment.equals("-") || segment.isEmpty())) {
+				segments.add(segment);
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (segments.isEmpty()) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		String pathSource = StringUtils.collectionToDelimitedString(segments, ".");
+
+		try {
+			return 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 cf899a1e5..9dc15395a 100644
--- 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
@@ -171,6 +171,11 @@ 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" }
+]