diff --git a/arangod/Aql/Ast.cpp b/arangod/Aql/Ast.cpp
index 5a597b3f12..156bbe9664 100644
--- a/arangod/Aql/Ast.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Aql/Ast.cpp
@@ -1486,6 +1486,9 @@ void Ast::injectBindParameters(BindParameters& parameters) {
         TRI_ASSERT(graphNode->isStringValue());
         std::string graphName = graphNode->getString();
         auto graph = _query->lookupGraphByName(graphName);
+        if (graph == nullptr) {
+          THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION(TRI_ERROR_GRAPH_NOT_FOUND);
+        }
         TRI_ASSERT(graph != nullptr);
         auto vColls = graph->vertexCollections();
         for (const auto& n : vColls) {
@@ -1515,6 +1518,9 @@ void Ast::injectBindParameters(BindParameters& parameters) {
         TRI_ASSERT(graphNode->isStringValue());
         std::string graphName = graphNode->getString();
         auto graph = _query->lookupGraphByName(graphName);
+        if (graph == nullptr) {
+          THROW_ARANGO_EXCEPTION(TRI_ERROR_GRAPH_NOT_FOUND);
+        }
         TRI_ASSERT(graph != nullptr);
         auto vColls = graph->vertexCollections();
         for (const auto& n : vColls) {