diff --git a/src/NzbDrone.Core/Validation/DownloadClientExistsValidator.cs b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Validation/DownloadClientExistsValidator.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf021f464
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/NzbDrone.Core/Validation/DownloadClientExistsValidator.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+using FluentValidation.Validators;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Download;
+
+namespace NzbDrone.Core.Validation
+{
+    public class DownloadClientExistsValidator : PropertyValidator
+    {
+        private readonly IDownloadClientFactory _downloadClientFactory;
+
+        public DownloadClientExistsValidator(IDownloadClientFactory downloadClientFactory)
+        {
+            _downloadClientFactory = downloadClientFactory;
+        }
+
+        protected override string GetDefaultMessageTemplate() => "Download Client does not exist";
+
+        protected override bool IsValid(PropertyValidatorContext context)
+        {
+            if (context?.PropertyValue == null || (int)context.PropertyValue == 0)
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            return _downloadClientFactory.Exists((int)context.PropertyValue);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Sonarr.Api.V3/Indexers/IndexerController.cs b/src/Sonarr.Api.V3/Indexers/IndexerController.cs
index 444993c2f..fffbc4d96 100644
--- a/src/Sonarr.Api.V3/Indexers/IndexerController.cs
+++ b/src/Sonarr.Api.V3/Indexers/IndexerController.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using NzbDrone.Core.Indexers;
+using NzbDrone.Core.Validation;
 using Sonarr.Http;
 
 namespace Sonarr.Api.V3.Indexers
@@ -9,9 +10,10 @@ namespace Sonarr.Api.V3.Indexers
         public static readonly IndexerResourceMapper ResourceMapper = new ();
         public static readonly IndexerBulkResourceMapper BulkResourceMapper = new ();
 
-        public IndexerController(IndexerFactory indexerFactory)
+        public IndexerController(IndexerFactory indexerFactory, DownloadClientExistsValidator downloadClientExistsValidator)
             : base(indexerFactory, "indexer", ResourceMapper, BulkResourceMapper)
         {
+            SharedValidator.RuleFor(c => c.DownloadClientId).SetValidator(downloadClientExistsValidator);
         }
     }
 }