diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/query_service.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/query_service.rb
index 14edac43f..84379c8be 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/query_service.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/fedora/query_service.rb
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ def content_with_inbound(id:)
     end
 
     def find_inverse_references_by(resource:, property:)
+      validate_id resource.id
       content = content_with_inbound(id: resource.id)
       property_uri =  adapter.schema.predicate_for(property: property, resource: nil)
       ids = content.graph.query([nil, property_uri, nil]).map(&:subject).map { |x| x.to_s.gsub(/#.*/, '') }.map { |x| adapter.uri_to_id(x) }
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/query_service.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/query_service.rb
index eb00d2fba..2e9e61839 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/query_service.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/memory/query_service.rb
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ def find_references_by(resource:, property:)
     #   other resources.
     # @param property [Symbol] The property which, on other resources, is
     #   referencing the given `resource`
+    # @raise [ArgumentError] Raised when the ID is not in the persistence backend.
     # @return [Array<Valkyrie::Resource>] All resources in the persistence backend
     #   which have the ID of the given `resource` in their `property` property. Not
     #   in order.
     def find_inverse_references_by(resource:, property:)
+      validate_id resource.id
       find_all.select do |obj|
         begin
           Array.wrap(obj[property]).include?(resource.id)
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/query_service.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/query_service.rb
index 01df2f9fa..bb7462347 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/query_service.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/postgres/query_service.rb
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ def find_references_by(resource:, property:)
 
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::QueryService#find_inverse_references_by)
     def find_inverse_references_by(resource:, property:)
+      validate_id resource.id
       internal_array = "{\"#{property}\": [{\"id\": \"#{resource.id}\"}]}"
       run_query(find_inverse_references_query, internal_array)
     end
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/query_service.rb b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/query_service.rb
index 06c184b17..6a3c039f9 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/query_service.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/persistence/solr/query_service.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ def find_references_by(resource:, property:)
 
     # (see Valkyrie::Persistence::Memory::QueryService#find_inverse_references_by)
     def find_inverse_references_by(resource:, property:)
+      validate_id resource.id
       Valkyrie::Persistence::Solr::Queries::FindInverseReferencesQuery.new(resource: resource, property: property, connection: connection, resource_factory: resource_factory).run
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/queries.rb b/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/queries.rb
index 9c3cd10eb..2dcb701c8 100644
--- a/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/queries.rb
+++ b/lib/valkyrie/specs/shared_specs/queries.rb
@@ -153,18 +153,27 @@ class SecondResource < Valkyrie::Resource
   end
 
   describe ".find_inverse_references_by" do
-    it "returns everything which references the given resource by the given property" do
-      parent = persister.save(resource: resource_class.new)
-      child = persister.save(resource: resource_class.new(a_member_of: [parent.id]))
-      persister.save(resource: resource_class.new)
-      persister.save(resource: SecondResource.new)
+    context "when the resource is saved" do
+      it "returns everything which references the given resource by the given property" do
+        parent = persister.save(resource: resource_class.new)
+        child = persister.save(resource: resource_class.new(a_member_of: [parent.id]))
+        persister.save(resource: resource_class.new)
+        persister.save(resource: SecondResource.new)
+
+        expect(query_service.find_inverse_references_by(resource: parent, property: :a_member_of).map(&:id).to_a).to eq [child.id]
+      end
+      it "returns an empty array if there are none" do
+        parent = persister.save(resource: resource_class.new)
 
-      expect(query_service.find_inverse_references_by(resource: parent, property: :a_member_of).map(&:id).to_a).to eq [child.id]
+        expect(query_service.find_inverse_references_by(resource: parent, property: :a_member_of).to_a).to eq []
+      end
     end
-    it "returns an empty array if there are none" do
-      parent = persister.save(resource: resource_class.new)
+    context "when the resource is not saved" do
+      it "raises an error" do
+        parent = resource_class.new
 
-      expect(query_service.find_inverse_references_by(resource: parent, property: :a_member_of).to_a).to eq []
+        expect { query_service.find_inverse_references_by(resource: parent, property: :a_member_of).to_a }.to raise_error ArgumentError
+      end
     end
   end