diff --git a/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver.go b/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver.go
index 09eecac9aa..b1260959a8 100644
--- a/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver.go
+++ b/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/query/storage"
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/query/storage/m3/consolidators"
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/query/storage/m3/storagemetadata"
+	xerrors "github.com/m3db/m3/src/x/errors"
 )
 
 type unaggregatedNamespaceType uint8
@@ -346,15 +347,17 @@ func resolveClusterNamespacesForQueryWithRestrictQueryOptions(
 			Resolution: restrict.StoragePolicy.Resolution().Window,
 		})
 		if !ok {
-			return result(nil,
+			err := xerrors.NewInvalidParamsError(
 				fmt.Errorf("could not find namespace for storage policy: %v",
 					restrict.StoragePolicy.String()))
+			return result(nil, err)
 		}
 
 		return result(ns, nil)
 	default:
-		return result(nil,
+		err := xerrors.NewInvalidParamsError(
 			fmt.Errorf("unrecognized metrics type: %v", restrict.MetricsType))
+		return result(nil, err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver_test.go b/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver_test.go
index 5db69c7f26..2e1d7099ce 100644
--- a/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver_test.go
+++ b/src/query/storage/m3/cluster_resolver_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/query/storage"
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/query/storage/m3/consolidators"
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/query/storage/m3/storagemetadata"
+	xerrors "github.com/m3db/m3/src/x/errors"
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/x/ident"
 
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
@@ -162,14 +163,15 @@ func generateClusters(t *testing.T, ctrl *gomock.Controller) Clusters {
 }
 
 var testCases = []struct {
-	name                 string
-	queryLength          time.Duration
-	opts                 *storage.FanoutOptions
-	restrict             *storage.RestrictQueryOptions
-	expectedType         consolidators.QueryFanoutType
-	expectedClusterNames []string
-	expectedErr          error
-	expectedErrContains  string
+	name                     string
+	queryLength              time.Duration
+	opts                     *storage.FanoutOptions
+	restrict                 *storage.RestrictQueryOptions
+	expectedType             consolidators.QueryFanoutType
+	expectedClusterNames     []string
+	expectedErr              error
+	expectedErrContains      string
+	expectedErrInvalidParams bool
 }{
 	{
 		name: "all disabled",
@@ -355,7 +357,8 @@ var testCases = []struct {
 				MetricsType: storagemetadata.UnknownMetricsType,
 			},
 		},
-		expectedErrContains: "unrecognized metrics type:",
+		expectedErrContains:      "unrecognized metrics type:",
+		expectedErrInvalidParams: true,
 	},
 	{
 		name:        "restrict with unknown storage policy",
@@ -366,7 +369,8 @@ var testCases = []struct {
 				StoragePolicy: policy.MustParseStoragePolicy("1s:100d"),
 			},
 		},
-		expectedErrContains: "could not find namespace for storage policy:",
+		expectedErrContains:      "could not find namespace for storage policy:",
+		expectedErrInvalidParams: true,
 	},
 }
 
@@ -398,6 +402,8 @@ func TestResolveClusterNamespacesForQueryWithOptions(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
 				assert.True(t, strings.Contains(err.Error(), substr))
 				assert.Nil(t, clusters)
+				invalidParams := xerrors.IsInvalidParams(err)
+				assert.Equal(t, tt.expectedErrInvalidParams, invalidParams)
 				return
 			}