diff --git a/server/api/__snapshots__/documents.test.js.snap b/server/api/__snapshots__/documents.test.js.snap
index d7d09f8ae..cda46a768 100644
--- a/server/api/__snapshots__/documents.test.js.snap
+++ b/server/api/__snapshots__/documents.test.js.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`#documents.create should create as a child 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "error": "invalid_parent_document",
+  "message": "Invalid parentDocument",
+  "ok": false,
+  "status": 400,
+}
+`;
+
 exports[`#documents.list should require authentication 1`] = `
 Object {
   "error": "authentication_required",
diff --git a/server/api/documents.js b/server/api/documents.js
index 1c29fead3..949dcb8c1 100644
--- a/server/api/documents.js
+++ b/server/api/documents.js
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ router.post('documents.create', auth(), async ctx => {
         atlasId: ownerCollection.id,
       },
     });
+    if (!parentDocumentObj)
+      throw httpErrors.BadRequest('Invalid parentDocument');
   }
 
   const newDocument = await Document.create({
diff --git a/server/api/documents.test.js b/server/api/documents.test.js
index d579af822..509050578 100644
--- a/server/api/documents.test.js
+++ b/server/api/documents.test.js
@@ -281,6 +281,23 @@ describe('#documents.create', async () => {
     expect(body.data.collection.documents.length).toBe(2);
     expect(body.data.collection.documents[1].children[0].id).toBe(body.data.id);
   });
+
+  it('should create as a child', async () => {
+    const { user, collection } = await seed();
+    const res = await server.post('/api/documents.create', {
+      body: {
+        token: user.getJwtToken(),
+        collection: collection.id,
+        title: 'new document',
+        text: 'hello',
+        parentDocument: 'd7a4eb73-fac1-4028-af45-d7e34d54db8e',
+      },
+    });
+    const body = await res.json();
+
+    expect(res.status).toEqual(400);
+    expect(body).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
 });
 
 describe('#documents.update', async () => {