diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 44ea0a7b0..910bc582f 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -321,13 +321,19 @@ func (api *API) ImportRoaring(ctx context.Context, indexName, fieldName string,
 	nodes := api.cluster.shardNodes(indexName, shard)
 	var eg errgroup.Group
 
+	field := api.holder.Field(indexName, fieldName)
+	if field == nil {
+		return newNotFoundError(ErrFieldNotFound)
+	}
+
+	// only set fields are supported
+	if field.Type() != FieldTypeSet {
+		return NewBadRequestError(errors.New("roaring import is only supported for set fields"))
+	}
+
 	for _, node := range nodes {
 		node := node
 		if node.ID == api.server.nodeID {
-			field := api.holder.Field(indexName, fieldName)
-			if field == nil {
-				return newNotFoundError(ErrFieldNotFound)
-			}
 			// must make a copy of data to operate on locally. field.importRoaring changes data
 			d2 := make([]byte, len(data))
 			copy(d2, data)
diff --git a/http/handler.go b/http/handler.go
index 47f5cf374..2980da12b 100644
--- a/http/handler.go
+++ b/http/handler.go
@@ -1494,11 +1494,16 @@ func (h *Handler) handlePostImportRoaring(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request
 		return
 	}
 
+	resp := &pilosa.ImportResponse{}
 	// TODO give meaningful stats for import
 	err = h.api.ImportRoaring(r.Context(), urlVars["index"], urlVars["field"], shard, remote, body)
-	resp := &pilosa.ImportResponse{}
 	if err != nil {
 		resp.Err = err.Error()
+		if _, ok := err.(pilosa.BadRequestError); ok {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+		} else {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		}
 	}
 	// Marshal response object.
 	buf, err := h.api.Serializer.Marshal(resp)
diff --git a/server/handler_test.go b/server/handler_test.go
index 2c1aa9868..9e76d77b9 100644
--- a/server/handler_test.go
+++ b/server/handler_test.go
@@ -104,6 +104,22 @@ func TestHandler_Endpoints(t *testing.T) {
 
 	})
 
+	t.Run("ImportRoaringFieldTypeFail", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// Roaring import into a non-set field should fail.
+		if _, err := i0.CreateFieldIfNotExists("int-field", pilosa.OptFieldTypeInt(0, 1)); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		roaringData, _ := hex.DecodeString("3B3001000100000900010000000100010009000100")
+		req := test.MustNewHTTPRequest("POST", "/index/i0/field/int-field/import-roaring/0", bytes.NewBuffer(roaringData))
+		req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/x-binary")
+		h.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+		if w.Code != gohttp.StatusBadRequest {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected status code: %d", w.Code)
+		}
+
+	})
+
 	t.Run("Status", func(t *testing.T) {
 		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
 		h.ServeHTTP(w, test.MustNewHTTPRequest("GET", "/status", nil))