diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js
index 49473db7c3..820e7af13b 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/filter.js
@@ -665,6 +665,20 @@ run_test('describe', () => {
     string = 'stream devel, exclude messages with one or more image';
     assert.equal(Filter.describe(narrow), string);
 
+    narrow = [
+        {operator: 'has', operand: 'abc', negated: true},
+        {operator: 'stream', operand: 'devel'},
+    ];
+    string = 'invalid abc operand for has operator, stream devel';
+    assert.equal(Filter.describe(narrow), string);
+
+    narrow = [
+        {operator: 'has', operand: 'image', negated: true},
+        {operator: 'stream', operand: 'devel'},
+    ];
+    string = 'exclude messages with one or more image, stream devel';
+    assert.equal(Filter.describe(narrow), string);
+
     narrow = [];
     string = 'all messages';
     assert.equal(Filter.describe(narrow), string);
diff --git a/static/js/filter.js b/static/js/filter.js
index e608e03e5a..953fd6bf9f 100644
--- a/static/js/filter.js
+++ b/static/js/filter.js
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ Filter.operator_to_prefix = function (operator, negated) {
     case 'near':
         return verb + 'messages around';
 
+    // Note: We hack around using this in "describe" below.
     case 'has':
         return verb + 'messages with one or more';
 
@@ -623,6 +624,14 @@ function describe_unescaped(operators) {
             }
             return operand + ' messages';
         }
+        if (canonicalized_operator ==='has') {
+            // search_suggestion.get_suggestions takes care that this message will
+            // only be shown if the `has` operator is not at the last.
+            var valid_has_operands = ['image', 'images', 'link', 'links', 'attachment', 'attachments'];
+            if (valid_has_operands.indexOf(operand) === -1) {
+                return 'invalid ' + operand + ' operand for has operator';
+            }
+        }
         var prefix_for_operator = Filter.operator_to_prefix(canonicalized_operator,
                                                             elem.negated);
         if (prefix_for_operator !== '') {