diff --git a/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping.py b/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping.py
index 8f4a2118c236..11cec247df55 100644
--- a/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping.py
+++ b/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping.py
@@ -297,10 +297,13 @@ def _expand_python_mapping_func(
     # TODO(robertwb): Consider constructing a single callable that takes
     # the row and returns the new row, rather than invoking (and unpacking)
     # for each field individually.
-    source = '\n'.join(['def fn(__row__):'] + [
-        f'  {name} = __row__.{name}'
+    source = '\n'.join(['def fn(__row__):'] + ['  try:'] + [
+        f'    {name} = __row__.{name}'
         for name in original_fields if name in expression
-    ] + ['  return (' + expression + ')'])
+    ] + [f'    return ({expression})'] + ['  except NameError as e:'] + [
+        f'    raise ValueError(f"{{e}}. Valid values include '
+        f'{original_fields}")'
+    ])
 
   else:
     source = callable
diff --git a/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping_test.py b/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping_test.py
index 2c5feec18278..63a7e8cacf1a 100644
--- a/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping_test.py
+++ b/sdks/python/apache_beam/yaml/yaml_mapping_test.py
@@ -76,6 +76,28 @@ def test_drop(self):
               beam.Row(label='389a', rank=2),
           ]))
 
+  def test_name_error(self):
+    with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+        ValueError,
+        f".*error_field.*is not defined.*{'.*'.join(DATA[0].as_dict().keys())}"
+    ):
+      with beam.Pipeline(options=beam.options.pipeline_options.PipelineOptions(
+          pickle_library='cloudpickle')) as p:
+        output = (
+            p
+            | beam.Create(DATA)
+            | YamlTransform(
+                '''
+            type: MapToFields
+            config:
+                language: python
+                fields: 
+                  new_field: error_field
+                append: true
+                drop: [conductor]
+            '''))
+      self.assertFalse(output)
+
   def test_filter(self):
     with beam.Pipeline(options=beam.options.pipeline_options.PipelineOptions(
         pickle_library='cloudpickle')) as p: