diff --git a/lib/model/query/entities.js b/lib/model/query/entities.js
index 0358b4d9d..b350d3d80 100644
--- a/lib/model/query/entities.js
+++ b/lib/model/query/entities.js
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ const { equals, extender, unjoiner, page, markDeleted } = require('../../util/db
 const { map, mergeRight, pickAll } = require('ramda');
 const { blankStringToNull, construct } = require('../../util/util');
 const { QueryOptions } = require('../../util/db');
-const { getOrNotFound } = require('../../util/promise');
 const { odataFilter } = require('../../data/odata-filter');
 const { odataToColumnMap, parseSubmissionXml, getDiffProp, ConflictType } = require('../../data/entity');
 const { isTrue } = require('../../util/http');
@@ -168,7 +167,8 @@ const _updateEntity = (dataset, entityData, submissionId, submissionDef, submiss
   const clientEntity = await Entity.fromParseEntityData(entityData); // validation happens here
 
   // Get version of entity on the server
-  const serverEntity = await Entities.getById(dataset.id, clientEntity.uuid).then(getOrNotFound);
+  const serverEntity = (await Entities.getById(dataset.id, clientEntity.uuid))
+    .orThrow(Problem.user.entityNotFound({ entityUuid: clientEntity.uuid, datasetName: dataset.name }));
 
   let { conflict } = serverEntity;
   let conflictingProperties; // Maybe we don't need to persist this??? just compute at the read time
diff --git a/lib/util/problem.js b/lib/util/problem.js
index 0f5a2b247..2f268c282 100644
--- a/lib/util/problem.js
+++ b/lib/util/problem.js
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ const problems = {
     // dataset in submission does not exist
     datasetNotFound: problem(404.7, ({ datasetName }) => `The dataset (${datasetName}) specified in the submission does not exist.`),
 
+    // entity in submission does not exist
+    entityNotFound: problem(404.8, ({ entityUuid, datasetName }) => `The entity with UUID (${entityUuid}) specified in the submission does not exist in the dataset (${datasetName}).`),
+
     // { allowed: [ acceptable formats ], got }
     unacceptableFormat: problem(406.1, ({ allowed }) => `Requested format not acceptable; this resource allows: ${allowed.join()}.`),
 
diff --git a/test/integration/worker/entity.js b/test/integration/worker/entity.js
index 3e8bd2ae5..4206d3eef 100644
--- a/test/integration/worker/entity.js
+++ b/test/integration/worker/entity.js
@@ -578,8 +578,8 @@ describe('worker: entity', () => {
         const event = await container.Audits.getLatestByAction('entity.error').then((o) => o.get());
         event.actorId.should.equal(5); // Alice
         event.details.submissionId.should.equal(subEvent.details.submissionId);
-        event.details.errorMessage.should.equal('Could not find the resource you were looking for.');
-        event.details.problem.problemCode.should.equal(404.1);
+        event.details.problem.problemCode.should.equal(404.8);
+        event.details.errorMessage.should.equal('The entity with UUID (12345678-1234-4123-8234-123456789abc) specified in the submission does not exist in the dataset (people).');
       }));
 
       it('should fail for other constraint errors like dataset name does not exist', testService(async (service, container) => {