diff --git a/internal/api/roles.go b/internal/api/roles.go
index 50166100..3619286b 100644
--- a/internal/api/roles.go
+++ b/internal/api/roles.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 
 	"go.infratographer.com/permissions-api/internal/query"
+	"go.infratographer.com/permissions-api/internal/storage"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -54,7 +55,14 @@ func (r *Router) roleCreate(c echo.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	role, err := r.engine.CreateRole(ctx, subjectResource, resource, reqBody.Name, reqBody.Actions)
-	if err != nil {
+
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+	case errors.Is(err, query.ErrInvalidAction):
+		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusBadRequest, "error creating resource: "+err.Error())
+	case errors.Is(err, storage.ErrRoleAlreadyExists), errors.Is(err, storage.ErrRoleNameTaken):
+		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusConflict, "error creating resource: "+err.Error())
+	default:
 		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusInternalServerError, "error creating resource").SetInternal(err)
 	}
 
@@ -103,11 +111,12 @@ func (r *Router) roleUpdate(c echo.Context) error {
 	// Roles belong to resources by way of the actions they can perform; do the permissions
 	// check on the role resource.
 	resource, err := r.engine.GetRoleResource(ctx, roleResource)
-	if err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, query.ErrRoleNotFound) {
-			return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusNotFound, "resource not found").SetInternal(err)
-		}
 
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+	case errors.Is(err, query.ErrRoleNotFound):
+		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusNotFound, "resource not found").SetInternal(err)
+	default:
 		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusInternalServerError, "error getting resource").SetInternal(err)
 	}
 
@@ -116,7 +125,14 @@ func (r *Router) roleUpdate(c echo.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	role, err := r.engine.UpdateRole(ctx, subjectResource, roleResource, reqBody.Name, reqBody.Actions)
-	if err != nil {
+
+	switch {
+	case err == nil:
+	case errors.Is(err, query.ErrInvalidAction):
+		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusBadRequest, "error updating resource: "+err.Error())
+	case errors.Is(err, storage.ErrRoleNameTaken):
+		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusConflict, "error updating resource: "+err.Error())
+	default:
 		return echo.NewHTTPError(http.StatusInternalServerError, "error updating resource").SetInternal(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/query/relations.go b/internal/query/relations.go
index 46f29a04..1e136e88 100644
--- a/internal/query/relations.go
+++ b/internal/query/relations.go
@@ -68,6 +68,28 @@ func resourceToSpiceDBRef(namespace string, r types.Resource) *pb.ObjectReferenc
 	}
 }
 
+func (e *engine) validateResourceActions(resource types.Resource, actions ...string) error {
+	var invalidActions []string
+
+	for _, action := range actions {
+		containsFn := func(sliceAction types.Action) bool {
+			return sliceAction.Name == action
+		}
+
+		rescType := e.schemaTypeMap[resource.Type]
+
+		if !slices.ContainsFunc(rescType.Actions, containsFn) {
+			invalidActions = append(invalidActions, action)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(invalidActions) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf("%w: %s for %s", ErrInvalidAction, strings.Join(invalidActions, ","), resource.Type)
+}
+
 // SubjectHasPermission checks if the given subject can do the given action on the given resource
 func (e *engine) SubjectHasPermission(ctx context.Context, subject types.Resource, action string, resource types.Resource) error {
 	ctx, span := e.tracer.Start(
@@ -99,14 +121,10 @@ func (e *engine) SubjectHasPermission(ctx context.Context, subject types.Resourc
 		),
 	)
 
-	var err error
-
-	containsFn := func(sliceAction types.Action) bool {
-		return sliceAction.Name == action
-	}
+	err := e.validateResourceActions(resource, action)
 
 	// Only check permissions if the requested action exists in the policy.
-	if rescType := e.schemaTypeMap[resource.Type]; slices.ContainsFunc(rescType.Actions, containsFn) {
+	if err == nil {
 		req := &pb.CheckPermissionRequest{
 			Consistency: consistency,
 			Resource:    resourceToSpiceDBRef(e.namespace, resource),
@@ -117,8 +135,6 @@ func (e *engine) SubjectHasPermission(ctx context.Context, subject types.Resourc
 		}
 
 		err = e.checkPermission(ctx, req)
-	} else {
-		err = ErrInvalidAction
 	}
 
 	switch {
@@ -293,6 +309,10 @@ func (e *engine) CreateRole(ctx context.Context, actor, res types.Resource, role
 
 	defer span.End()
 
+	if err := e.validateResourceActions(res, actions...); err != nil {
+		return types.Role{}, err
+	}
+
 	roleName = strings.TrimSpace(roleName)
 
 	role := newRole(roleName, actions)
@@ -385,6 +405,10 @@ func (e *engine) UpdateRole(ctx context.Context, actor, roleResource types.Resou
 
 	defer span.End()
 
+	if err := e.validateResourceActions(roleResource, newActions...); err != nil {
+		return types.Role{}, err
+	}
+
 	dbCtx, err := e.store.BeginContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return types.Role{}, err