diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-110/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro110/FieldBuilder110.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-110/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro110/FieldBuilder110.java
index fe4fc5c23..d26e43eba 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-110/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro110/FieldBuilder110.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-110/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro110/FieldBuilder110.java
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Object avroFriendlyDefault;
     try {
       avroFriendlyDefault = avroFriendlyDefaultValue(_defaultVal);
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-111/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro111/FieldBuilder111.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-111/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro111/FieldBuilder111.java
index 432f2d54d..a6076054f 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-111/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro111/FieldBuilder111.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-111/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro111/FieldBuilder111.java
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Object avroFriendlyDefault;
     try {
       avroFriendlyDefault = avroFriendlyDefaultValue(_defaultVal);
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-14/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro14/FieldBuilder14.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-14/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro14/FieldBuilder14.java
index 8c95511c7..d911f5ce8 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-14/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro14/FieldBuilder14.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-14/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro14/FieldBuilder14.java
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Schema.Field result = new Schema.Field(_name, _schema, _doc, _defaultVal, _order);
     if (_props != null && !_props.isEmpty()) {
       Map<String, String> clonedProps = getProps(result);
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-15/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro15/FieldBuilder15.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-15/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro15/FieldBuilder15.java
index 51dfd99b0..a57d07e4c 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-15/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro15/FieldBuilder15.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-15/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro15/FieldBuilder15.java
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Schema.Field result = new Schema.Field(_name, _schema, _doc, _defaultVal, _order);
     if (_props != null && !_props.isEmpty()) {
       Map<String, String> clonedProps = getProps(result);
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-16/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro16/FieldBuilder16.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-16/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro16/FieldBuilder16.java
index 3d5a6da0e..78fa5cfe9 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-16/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro16/FieldBuilder16.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-16/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro16/FieldBuilder16.java
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Schema.Field result = new Schema.Field(_name, _schema, _doc, _defaultVal, _order);
     if (_props != null) {
       for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : _props.entrySet()) {
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-17/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro17/FieldBuilder17.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-17/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro17/FieldBuilder17.java
index ef0c1b588..b4321355d 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-17/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro17/FieldBuilder17.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-17/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro17/FieldBuilder17.java
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Schema.Field result = new Schema.Field(_name, _schema, _doc, _defaultVal, _order);
     if (_props != null) {
       Avro17Utils.setProps(result, _props);
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-18/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro18/FieldBuilder18.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-18/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro18/FieldBuilder18.java
index 8df2fa332..3537d2aa4 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-18/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro18/FieldBuilder18.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-18/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro18/FieldBuilder18.java
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     @SuppressWarnings("deprecation") //deprecated but faster
     Schema.Field result = new Schema.Field(_name, _schema, _doc, _defaultVal, _order);
     if (_props != null) {
diff --git a/helper/impls/helper-impl-19/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro19/FieldBuilder19.java b/helper/impls/helper-impl-19/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro19/FieldBuilder19.java
index 1bbfc68a7..9c0a32ba1 100644
--- a/helper/impls/helper-impl-19/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro19/FieldBuilder19.java
+++ b/helper/impls/helper-impl-19/src/main/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/avro19/FieldBuilder19.java
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ public FieldBuilder copyFromField() {
 
   @Override
   public Schema.Field build() {
+    if (_schema == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("schema not set");
+    }
     Object avroFriendlyDefault;
     try {
       avroFriendlyDefault = avroFriendlyDefaultValue(_defaultVal);
diff --git a/helper/tests/helper-tests-allavro/src/test/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/FieldBuilderTest.java b/helper/tests/helper-tests-allavro/src/test/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/FieldBuilderTest.java
index bdddc3306..b4631f356 100644
--- a/helper/tests/helper-tests-allavro/src/test/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/FieldBuilderTest.java
+++ b/helper/tests/helper-tests-allavro/src/test/java/com/linkedin/avroutil1/compatibility/FieldBuilderTest.java
@@ -110,6 +110,16 @@ public void testNewFieldSortOrder() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testBuildFailsOnNullSchema() throws Exception {
+        try {
+            AvroCompatibilityHelper.newField(null).setName("noSchema").build();
+            Assert.fail("expected an exception");
+        } catch (IllegalStateException expected) {
+            // pass - schema is required for a field to be built
+        }
+    }
+
     private void setDefaultValues(Schema.Field field) {
         Assert.assertTrue(AvroCompatibilityHelper.fieldHasDefault(field));
         Schema fieldSchema = field.schema();