diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 65fe6d8db..95ae40f16 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -2343,7 +2343,10 @@ func (api *API) GetTranslateEntryReader(ctx context.Context, offsets TranslateOf
 			if field == nil {
 				return nil, newNotFoundError(ErrFieldNotFound, fieldName)
 			}
-
+			store := field.TranslateStore()
+			if store == nil {
+				return nil, ErrTranslateStoreNotFound
+			}
 			r, err := field.TranslateStore().EntryReader(ctx, uint64(offset))
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "field translate reader")
@@ -2643,7 +2646,13 @@ func (api *API) RestoreIDAlloc(r io.Reader) error {
 // rd is a boltdb file.
 func (api *API) TranslateIndexDB(ctx context.Context, indexName string, partitionID int, rd io.Reader) error {
 	idx := api.holder.Index(indexName)
+	if idx == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("index %q not found", indexName)
+	}
 	store := idx.TranslateStore(partitionID)
+	if store == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("index %q has no translate store", indexName)
+	}
 	_, err := store.ReadFrom(rd)
 	return err
 }
@@ -2651,8 +2660,23 @@ func (api *API) TranslateIndexDB(ctx context.Context, indexName string, partitio
 // TranslateFieldDB is an internal function to load the field keys database
 func (api *API) TranslateFieldDB(ctx context.Context, indexName, fieldName string, rd io.Reader) error {
 	idx := api.holder.Index(indexName)
+	if idx == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("index %q not found", indexName)
+	}
 	field := idx.Field(fieldName)
+	if field == nil {
+		// Older versions used to accidentally provide an empty translation
+		// data file for a nonexistent field called "_keys". To make migration
+		// easier, we politely ignore that.
+		if fieldName == "_keys" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("field %q/%q not found", indexName, fieldName)
+	}
 	store := field.TranslateStore()
+	if store == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("field %q/%q has no translate store", indexName, fieldName)
+	}
 	_, err := store.ReadFrom(rd)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/api_test.go b/api_test.go
index e5989ccb4..cd0cb317f 100644
--- a/api_test.go
+++ b/api_test.go
@@ -1356,3 +1356,75 @@ func createFieldForTest(index string, field string, coord *test.Command, t *test
 		t.Fatalf("creating field: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestVariousApiTranslateCalls(t *testing.T) {
+	for i := 1; i < 8; i += 3 {
+		m := test.MustRunCluster(t, i)
+		defer m.Close()
+		node := m.GetNode(0)
+		api := node.API
+		// this should never actually get used because we're testing for errors here
+		r := strings.NewReader("")
+		// test index
+		idx, err := api.Holder().CreateIndex("index", pilosa.IndexOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%v: could not create test index", err)
+		}
+		_, err = idx.CreateFieldIfNotExistsWithOptions("field", &pilosa.FieldOptions{Keys: false})
+		t.Run("translateIndexDbOnNilIndex",
+			func(t *testing.T) {
+				err := api.TranslateIndexDB(context.Background(), "nonExistentIndex", 0, r)
+				expected := fmt.Errorf("index %q not found", "nonExistentIndex")
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, expected) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected '%#v', got '%#v'", expected, err)
+				}
+			})
+
+		t.Run("translateIndexDbOnNilTranslateStore",
+			func(t *testing.T) {
+				err := api.TranslateIndexDB(context.Background(), "index", 0, r)
+				expected := fmt.Errorf("index %q has no translate store", "index")
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, expected) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected '%#v', got '%#v'", expected, err)
+				}
+			})
+
+		t.Run("translateFieldDbOnNilIndex",
+			func(t *testing.T) {
+				err := api.TranslateFieldDB(context.Background(), "nonExistentIndex", "field", r)
+				expected := fmt.Errorf("index %q not found", "nonExistentIndex")
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, expected) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected '%#v', got '%#v'", expected, err)
+				}
+			})
+
+		t.Run("translateFieldDbOnNilField",
+			func(t *testing.T) {
+				err := api.TranslateFieldDB(context.Background(), "index", "nonExistentField", r)
+				expected := fmt.Errorf("field %q/%q not found", "index", "nonExistentField")
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, expected) {
+					t.Fatalf("expected '%#v', got '%#v'", expected, err)
+				}
+			})
+
+		t.Run("translateFieldDbNilField_keys",
+			func(t *testing.T) {
+				err := api.TranslateFieldDB(context.Background(), "index", "_keys", r)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("expected 'nil', got '%#v'", err)
+				}
+			})
+		/*
+		   TODO: this test will break, bc currently all fields create translate
+		   stores, which is a bug, but one that we will eventually fix. when we do, this
+		   test might come in handy t.Run("translateFieldDbOnNilTranslateStore",
+		   func(t *testing.T) {
+		       err := api.TranslateFieldDB(context.Background(), "index", "field", r)
+		       expected := fmt.Errorf("field %q/%q has no translate store", "index", "field")
+		       if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, expected) {
+		           t.Fatalf("expected '%#v', got '%#v'", expected, err)
+		       }
+		   })
+		*/
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cluster.go b/cluster.go
index 9b161ea41..76910a4bb 100644
--- a/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster.go
@@ -1480,6 +1480,10 @@ func (c *cluster) matchField(ctx context.Context, field *Field, like string) ([]
 	if c.Node.ID == primary.ID {
 		// The local copy is the authoritative copy.
 		plan := planLike(like)
+		store := field.TranslateStore()
+		if store == nil {
+			return nil, ErrTranslateStoreNotFound
+		}
 		return field.TranslateStore().Match(func(key []byte) bool {
 			return matchLike(key, plan...)
 		})
@@ -1521,6 +1525,10 @@ func (c *cluster) translateFieldListIDs(field *Field, ids []uint64) (keys []stri
 	}
 
 	if c.Node.ID == primary.ID {
+		store := field.TranslateStore()
+		if store == nil {
+			return nil, ErrTranslateStoreNotFound
+		}
 		keys, err = field.TranslateStore().TranslateIDs(ids)
 	} else {
 		keys, err = c.InternalClient.TranslateIDsNode(context.Background(), &primary.URI, field.Index(), field.Name(), ids)