diff --git a/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/AlarmDefinitionService.java b/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/AlarmDefinitionService.java
index 5b7626d10..37d2d2642 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/AlarmDefinitionService.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/monasca/api/app/AlarmDefinitionService.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
+ * (C) Copyright 2014,2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development Company LP
  * 
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
  * in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ public class AlarmDefinitionService {
     if (!actions.isEmpty())
       for (String action : actions)
         if (!notificationMethodRepo.exists(tenantId, action))
-          throw new InvalidEntityException("No notification method exists for action %s", action);
+            throw monasca.api.resource.exception.Exceptions.unprocessableEntity(
+            "No notification method exists for action %s", action);
   }
 }
diff --git a/monasca_api/common/repositories/sqla/alarm_definitions_repository.py b/monasca_api/common/repositories/sqla/alarm_definitions_repository.py
index 936ee4c5a..e166cfea4 100644
--- a/monasca_api/common/repositories/sqla/alarm_definitions_repository.py
+++ b/monasca_api/common/repositories/sqla/alarm_definitions_repository.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2014 Hewlett-Packard
+# (C) Copyright 2014,2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development Company LP
 # Copyright 2016 FUJITSU LIMITED
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ class AlarmDefinitionsRepository(sql_repository.SQLRepository,
             row = conn.execute(self.select_nm_query,
                                b_id=action.encode('utf8')).fetchone()
             if row is None:
-                raise exceptions.RepositoryException(
+                raise exceptions.InvalidUpdateException(
                     "Non-existent notification id {} submitted for {} "
                     "notification action".format(action.encode('utf8'),
                                                  alarm_state.encode('utf8')))
diff --git a/monasca_tempest_tests/tests/api/test_alarm_definitions.py b/monasca_tempest_tests/tests/api/test_alarm_definitions.py
index 89a896b1d..54e812d71 100644
--- a/monasca_tempest_tests/tests/api/test_alarm_definitions.py
+++ b/monasca_tempest_tests/tests/api/test_alarm_definitions.py
@@ -724,6 +724,27 @@ class TestAlarmDefinitions(base.BaseMonascaTest):
                                                    None, notification_id)
         self._delete_notification(notification_id)
 
+    @test.attr(type="gate")
+    @test.attr(type=['negative'])
+    def test_patch_alarm_definition_with_invalid_actions(self):
+        response_body_list = self._create_alarm_definitions(
+            expression=None, number_of_definitions=1)
+        # Patch alarm definition
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.UnprocessableEntity,
+                          self.monasca_client.patch_alarm_definition,
+                          id=response_body_list[0]['id'],
+                          alarm_actions=['bad_notification_id'])
+
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.UnprocessableEntity,
+                          self.monasca_client.patch_alarm_definition,
+                          id=response_body_list[0]['id'],
+                          ok_actions=['bad_notification_id'])
+
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.UnprocessableEntity,
+                          self.monasca_client.patch_alarm_definition,
+                          id=response_body_list[0]['id'],
+                          undetermined_actions=['bad_notification_id'])
+
     # Delete
 
     @test.attr(type="gate")