diff --git a/controllers/model.go b/controllers/model.go
index 2a2e4f93..aa732a99 100644
--- a/controllers/model.go
+++ b/controllers/model.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (c *ApiController) UpdateModel() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.Data["json"] = wrapActionResponse(object.UpdateModel(id, &model))
+	c.Data["json"] = wrapErrorResponse(object.UpdateModelWithCheck(id, &model))
 	c.ServeJSON()
 }
 
diff --git a/object/model.go b/object/model.go
index 85e0e723..760d2f0f 100644
--- a/object/model.go
+++ b/object/model.go
@@ -86,6 +86,17 @@ func GetModel(id string) *Model {
 	return getModel(owner, name)
 }
 
+func UpdateModelWithCheck(id string, modelObj *Model) error {
+	// check model grammar
+	_, err := model.NewModelFromString(modelObj.ModelText)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	UpdateModel(id, modelObj)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func UpdateModel(id string, modelObj *Model) bool {
 	owner, name := util.GetOwnerAndNameFromId(id)
 	if getModel(owner, name) == nil {
@@ -98,11 +109,6 @@ func UpdateModel(id string, modelObj *Model) bool {
 			return false
 		}
 	}
-	// check model grammar
-	_, err := model.NewModelFromString(modelObj.ModelText)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
 
 	affected, err := adapter.Engine.ID(core.PK{owner, name}).AllCols().Update(modelObj)
 	if err != nil {