diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/CassandraServer.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/CassandraServer.java
index 26495ddb7c..3acbb6f86d 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/CassandraServer.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/CassandraServer.java
@@ -815,13 +815,11 @@ public class CassandraServer implements Cassandra.Iface
     public String system_update_keyspace(KsDef ks_def) throws InvalidRequestException, TException
     {
         state().hasKeyspaceListAccess(Permission.WRITE);
-        
+
+        ThriftValidation.validateTable(ks_def.name);
         if (ks_def.getCf_defs() != null && ks_def.getCf_defs().size() > 0)
             throw new InvalidRequestException("Keyspace update must not contain any column family definitions.");
         
-        if (DatabaseDescriptor.getTableDefinition(ks_def.name) == null)
-            throw new InvalidRequestException("Keyspace does not exist.");
-        
         try
         {
             KSMetaData ksm = new KSMetaData(
@@ -935,11 +933,8 @@ public class CassandraServer implements Cassandra.Iface
 
     public void set_keyspace(String keyspace) throws InvalidRequestException, TException
     {
-        if (DatabaseDescriptor.getTableDefinition(keyspace) == null)
-        {
-            throw new InvalidRequestException("Keyspace does not exist");
-        }
-        
+        ThriftValidation.validateTable(keyspace);
+
         state().setKeyspace(keyspace);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java
index 3570a81771..c9a005789f 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ public class ThriftValidation
         }
     }
 
-    private static void validateTable(String tablename) throws KeyspaceNotDefinedException
+    public static void validateTable(String tablename) throws KeyspaceNotDefinedException
     {
         if (!DatabaseDescriptor.getTables().contains(tablename))
         {
-            throw new KeyspaceNotDefinedException("Keyspace " + tablename + " does not exist in this schema.");
+            throw new KeyspaceNotDefinedException("Keyspace " + tablename + " does not exist");
         }
     }