diff --git a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Table.pm b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Table.pm
index 2b3d50fc1..9dc46944b 100644
--- a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Table.pm
+++ b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Table.pm
@@ -4330,8 +4330,10 @@ sub delimitcol {
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub buildWhereClause {
     my $attrvalstr = shift;    # array of atr<op>val strings
+    my $getkeysonly = shift;
     my $whereclause;           # Where Clause
     my $firstpass = 1;
+    my @gotkeys = ();
     foreach my $m (@{$attrvalstr})
     {
         my $attr;
@@ -4372,6 +4374,9 @@ sub buildWhereClause {
             ($attr, $val) = split />/, $m, 2;
             $operator = ' > ';
         } else {
+            if (defined($getkeysonly)) {
+                return "Unsupported operator:$m on -w flag input";
+            }
             xCAT::MsgUtils->message("S", "Unsupported operator:$m  on -w flag input, could not build a Where Clause.");
             $whereclause = "";
             return $whereclause;
@@ -4386,7 +4391,12 @@ sub buildWhereClause {
 
         #$whereclause .="\')";
         $whereclause .= "\'";
-
+        if (defined($getkeysonly)) {
+            push @gotkeys, $attr;
+        }
+    }
+    if (defined($getkeysonly)) {
+        return \@gotkeys;
     }
     return $whereclause;
 
diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/tabutils.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/tabutils.pm
index 0d428a5d9..64f3933f8 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/tabutils.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/tabutils.pm
@@ -732,6 +732,18 @@ sub tabdump
             foreach my $w (@{$OPTW}) {    # get each attr=val
                 push @attrarray, $w;
             }
+            my $keys = xCAT::Table::buildWhereClause(\@attrarray, "1");
+            if (ref($keys) ne 'ARRAY')  {
+                $cb->({ error => ["$keys"], errorcode => [1] });
+                return;
+            } else {
+                foreach my $k (@$keys) {
+                    unless (grep /$k/, @{ $xCAT::Schema::tabspec{$table}->{cols} }) {
+                        $cb->({ error => ["No column \"$k\" in table \"$table\""], errorcode => [1] });
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             @ents = $tabh->getAllAttribsWhere(\@attrarray, 'ALL');
             @$recs = ();
             foreach my $e (@ents) {
@@ -2370,6 +2382,16 @@ sub tabch {
 
                 }
             }
+            my $err_found = 0;
+            for my $k (keys %keyhash) {
+                unless (grep /$k/, @{ $xCAT::Schema::tabspec{$table}->{cols} }) {
+                    $callback->({ error => ["No column \"$k\" in table \"$table\""], errorcode => [1] });
+                    $err_found = 1;
+                }
+            }
+            if ($err_found) {
+                return 1;
+            }
 
             #splice assignment
             if (grep /\+=/, $temp) {