diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/sort_by.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/sort_by.rs
index 7a810679ab..d5f7a707a6 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/sort_by.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/sort_by.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,18 @@ fn sort_by(args: CommandArgs, registry: &CommandRegistry) -> Result<OutputStream
             return;
         }
 
+        for sort_arg in rest.iter() {
+            let match_test = get_data_by_key(&vec[0], sort_arg.borrow_spanned());
+            if match_test == None {
+                yield Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
+                    "Can not find column to sort by",
+                    "invalid column",
+                    sort_arg.borrow_spanned().span,
+                ));
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
         match &vec[0] {
             Value {
                 value: UntaggedValue::Primitive(_),
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/tests/commands/sort_by.rs b/crates/nu-cli/tests/commands/sort_by.rs
index a13c5a1667..15bb44cd05 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/tests/commands/sort_by.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/tests/commands/sort_by.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,29 @@ fn by_column() {
     assert_eq!(actual.out, "description");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn by_invalid_column() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/formats", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            open cargo_sample.toml --raw
+            | lines
+            | skip 1
+            | first 4
+            | split column "="
+            | sort-by ColumnThatDoesNotExist
+            | skip 1
+            | first 1
+            | get Column1
+            | trim
+            | echo $it
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("Can not find column to sort by"));
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("invalid column"));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn sort_primitive_values() {
     let actual = nu!(