diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e548a28d..fbeb6d27 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 - Windows that do not report a title at all should be treated as having the empty string as its title [#707](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/issues/707)
 - Allow *SPACE_SEL* to be used instead of *mission-control index* when specifying config options for a specific space [#705](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/issues/705)
 - Native fullscreen transitions would freeze on macOS Mojave due to internal API differences between macOS version [#690](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/issues/690)
+- Report proper error message when trying to use absolute resizing on a managed window [#661](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai/issues/661)
 
 ## [3.3.4] - 2020-11-14
 ### Changed
diff --git a/src/message.c b/src/message.c
index 203c1b55..86012506 100644
--- a/src/message.c
+++ b/src/message.c
@@ -1665,6 +1665,8 @@ static void handle_domain_window(FILE *rsp, struct token domain, char *message)
                 daemon_fail(rsp, "cannot locate bsp node for the managed window.\n");
             } else if (result == WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_DST_NODE) {
                 daemon_fail(rsp, "cannot locate a bsp node fence.\n");
+            } else if (result == WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_OPERATION) {
+                daemon_fail(rsp, "cannot use absolute resizing on a managed window.\n");
             }
         } else {
             daemon_fail(rsp, "unknown value '%.*s' given to command '%.*s' for domain '%.*s'\n", value.length, value.text, command.length, command.text, domain.length, domain.text);
diff --git a/src/window_manager.c b/src/window_manager.c
index bc98a154..f52970f2 100644
--- a/src/window_manager.c
+++ b/src/window_manager.c
@@ -368,12 +368,14 @@ enum window_op_error window_manager_resize_window_relative(struct window_manager
 {
     struct view *view = window_manager_find_managed_window(wm, window);
     if (view) {
-        struct window_node *x_fence = NULL;
-        struct window_node *y_fence = NULL;
+        if (direction == HANDLE_ABS) return WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_OPERATION;
 
         struct window_node *node = view_find_window_node(view, window->id);
         if (!node) return WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_SRC_NODE;
 
+        struct window_node *x_fence = NULL;
+        struct window_node *y_fence = NULL;
+
         if (direction & HANDLE_TOP)    x_fence = window_node_fence(node, DIR_NORTH);
         if (direction & HANDLE_BOTTOM) x_fence = window_node_fence(node, DIR_SOUTH);
         if (direction & HANDLE_LEFT)   y_fence = window_node_fence(node, DIR_WEST);
diff --git a/src/window_manager.h b/src/window_manager.h
index c098dfde..c05b212d 100644
--- a/src/window_manager.h
+++ b/src/window_manager.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ enum window_op_error
     WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_SRC_NODE,
     WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_DST_VIEW,
     WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_DST_NODE,
+    WINDOW_OP_ERROR_INVALID_OPERATION,
     WINDOW_OP_ERROR_SAME_WINDOW,
     WINDOW_OP_ERROR_CANT_MINIMIZE,
     WINDOW_OP_ERROR_ALREADY_MINIMIZED,