diff --git a/lib/dao.js b/lib/dao.js
index 128aa921..f5a6886f 100644
--- a/lib/dao.js
+++ b/lib/dao.js
@@ -458,8 +458,9 @@ DataAccessObject._coerce = function (where) {
     return where;
   }
 
+  var err;
   if (typeof where !== 'object' || Array.isArray(where)) {
-    var err = new Error(util.format('The where clause %j is not an object', where));
+    err = new Error(util.format('The where clause %j is not an object', where));
     err.statusCode = 400;
     throw err;
   }
@@ -473,6 +474,10 @@ DataAccessObject._coerce = function (where) {
         for (var i = 0; i < clauses.length; i++) {
           self._coerce(clauses[i]);
         }
+      } else {
+        err = new Error(util.format('The %p operator has invalid clauses %j', p, clauses));
+        err.statusCode = 400;
+        throw err;
       }
       return where;
     }
diff --git a/test/loopback-dl.test.js b/test/loopback-dl.test.js
index 6b1d4049..d1d2b0a8 100644
--- a/test/loopback-dl.test.js
+++ b/test/loopback-dl.test.js
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ describe('DataAccessObject', function () {
   it('should throw if the where property is not an object', function () {
     try {
       // The where clause has to be an object
-      error = err;model._coerce('abc');
+      model._coerce('abc');
     } catch (err) {
       error = err;
     }
@@ -1096,7 +1096,7 @@ describe('DataAccessObject', function () {
   it('should throw if the where property is an array', function () {
     try {
       // The where clause cannot be an array
-      error = err;model._coerce([
+      model._coerce([
         {vip: true}
       ]);
     } catch (err) {
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ describe('DataAccessObject', function () {
   it('should throw if the and operator does not take an array', function () {
     try {
       // The and operator only takes an array of objects
-      error = err;model._coerce({and: {x: 1}});
+      model._coerce({and: {x: 1}});
     } catch (err) {
       error = err;
     }
@@ -1118,7 +1118,7 @@ describe('DataAccessObject', function () {
   it('should throw if the or operator does not take an array', function () {
     try {
       // The or operator only takes an array of objects
-      error = err;model._coerce({or: {x: 1}});
+      model._coerce({or: {x: 1}});
     } catch (err) {
       error = err;
     }
@@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ describe('DataAccessObject', function () {
   it('should throw if the or operator does not take an array of objects', function () {
     try {
       // The or operator only takes an array of objects
-      error = err;model._coerce({or: ['x']});
+      model._coerce({or: ['x']});
     } catch(err) {
       error = err;
     }