diff --git a/src/chttpd/test/eunit/chttpd_view_test.erl b/src/chttpd/test/eunit/chttpd_view_test.erl
index beb71f8231..42c5c07cbe 100644
--- a/src/chttpd/test/eunit/chttpd_view_test.erl
+++ b/src/chttpd/test/eunit/chttpd_view_test.erl
@@ -117,7 +117,10 @@ all_docs_test_() ->
                     ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_with_limit),
                     ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_with_skip),
                     ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_with_limit_and_skip),
-                    ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_with_configured_query_limit)
+                    ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_with_configured_query_limit),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_impossible_range_fwd),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_valid_range_descending),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(t_all_docs_impossible_range_descending)
                 ]
             }
         }
@@ -186,9 +189,17 @@ t_view_with_key_and_start_key(Db) ->
 t_all_docs_with_key_and_start_key(Db) ->
     {Code1, Res1} = req(get, url(Db, "_all_docs", "key=\"a\"&startkey=\"b\"")),
     {Code2, Res2} = req(get, url(Db, "_all_docs", "startkey=\"b\"&key=\"a\"")),
-    ?assertMatch(#{<<"rows">> := []}, Res1),
+    ?assertMatch(
+        #{
+            <<"error">> := <<"query_parse_error">>,
+            <<"reason">> :=
+                <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+                    "start_key and end_key or set descending=true">>
+        },
+        Res1
+    ),
     ?assertMatch(#{<<"rows">> := [#{<<"id">> := <<"a">>}]}, Res2),
-    ?assertEqual(200, Code1),
+    ?assertEqual(400, Code1),
     ?assertEqual(200, Code2).
 
 t_view_with_key_and_end_key(Db) ->
@@ -436,6 +447,37 @@ t_all_docs_with_configured_query_limit(Db) ->
         Res
     ).
 
+t_all_docs_impossible_range_fwd(Db) ->
+    {Code, Res} = req(get, url(Db, "_all_docs", "startkey=\"z\"&endkey=\"a\"")),
+    ?assertMatch(
+        #{
+            <<"error">> := <<"query_parse_error">>,
+            <<"reason">> :=
+                <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+                    "start_key and end_key or set descending=true">>
+        },
+        Res
+    ),
+    ?assertEqual(400, Code).
+
+t_all_docs_valid_range_descending(Db) ->
+    {Code, Res} = req(get, url(Db, "_all_docs", "startkey=\"c\"&endkey=\"a\"&descending=true")),
+    ?assertMatch(#{<<"rows">> := [#{<<"id">> := <<"c">>}, #{<<"id">> := <<"b">>}, #{<<"id">> := <<"a">>}]}, Res),
+    ?assertEqual(200, Code).
+
+t_all_docs_impossible_range_descending(Db) ->
+    {Code, Res} = req(get, url(Db, "_all_docs", "startkey=\"a\"&endkey=\"z\"&descending=true")),
+    ?assertMatch(
+        #{
+            <<"error">> := <<"query_parse_error">>,
+            <<"reason">> :=
+                <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+                    "start_key and end_key or set descending=false">>
+        },
+        Res
+    ),
+    ?assertEqual(400, Code).
+
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Utility Functions %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 url(Db) ->
     Addr = config:get("chttpd", "bind_address", "127.0.0.1"),
diff --git a/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview.erl b/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview.erl
index 244f668af0..58b4342cfd 100644
--- a/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview.erl
+++ b/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview.erl
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ query_all_docs(Db, Args0, Callback, Acc) ->
     % remove.
     %
     Args2 = couch_mrview_util:validate_all_docs_args(Db, Args1),
+    couch_mrview_util:check_range(Args2, fun(A, B) -> A < B end),
     {ok, Acc1} =
         case Args2#mrargs.preflight_fun of
             PFFun when is_function(PFFun, 2) -> PFFun(Sig, Acc);
diff --git a/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview_util.erl b/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview_util.erl
index 48138bf76f..2e7508ff8e 100644
--- a/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview_util.erl
+++ b/src/couch_mrview/src/couch_mrview_util.erl
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 -export([calculate_external_size/1]).
 -export([calculate_active_size/1]).
 -export([validate_all_docs_args/2, validate_args/1, validate_args/3]).
+-export([check_range/2]).
 -export([maybe_load_doc/3, maybe_load_doc/4]).
 -export([maybe_update_index_file/1]).
 -export([extract_view/4, extract_view_reduce/1]).
diff --git a/src/couch_mrview/test/eunit/couch_mrview_all_docs_tests.erl b/src/couch_mrview/test/eunit/couch_mrview_all_docs_tests.erl
index b2a01ec723..bce9538be1 100644
--- a/src/couch_mrview/test/eunit/couch_mrview_all_docs_tests.erl
+++ b/src/couch_mrview/test/eunit/couch_mrview_all_docs_tests.erl
@@ -54,7 +54,13 @@ all_docs_test_() ->
                     ?TDEF_FE(http_query_with_limit_and_skip),
                     ?TDEF_FE(http_query_with_limit_and_skip_and_query_limit),
                     ?TDEF_FE(http_query_with_query_limit_and_over_limit),
-                    ?TDEF_FE(http_query_with_include_docs)
+                    ?TDEF_FE(http_query_with_include_docs),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(should_throw_range_error_fwd),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(should_throw_range_error_rev),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(should_not_throw_range_error_valid_fwd),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(should_not_throw_range_error_valid_rev),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(http_impossible_range_fwd),
+                    ?TDEF_FE(http_impossible_range_rev)
                 ]
             }
         }
@@ -300,6 +306,58 @@ http_query_with_include_docs(Db) ->
         http_query(Db, Params)
     ).
 
+%% Direct Erlang API tests for check_range on _all_docs
+
+should_throw_range_error_fwd(Db) ->
+    Error = {query_parse_error,
+        <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+          "start_key and end_key or set descending=true">>},
+    ?assertThrow(Error, run_query(Db, [{start_key, <<"z">>}, {end_key, <<"a">>}])).
+
+should_throw_range_error_rev(Db) ->
+    Error = {query_parse_error,
+        <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+          "start_key and end_key or set descending=false">>},
+    ?assertThrow(Error, run_query(Db, [
+        {start_key, <<"a">>}, {end_key, <<"z">>}, {direction, rev}
+    ])).
+
+should_not_throw_range_error_valid_fwd(Db) ->
+    {ok, _} = run_query(Db, [{start_key, <<"3">>}, {end_key, <<"5">>}]).
+
+should_not_throw_range_error_valid_rev(Db) ->
+    {ok, _} = run_query(Db, [
+        {start_key, <<"5">>}, {end_key, <<"3">>}, {direction, rev}
+    ]).
+
+%% HTTP tests for check_range on _all_docs
+
+http_impossible_range_fwd(Db) ->
+    {Code, Res} = http_req(Db, "?start_key=\"z\"&end_key=\"a\""),
+    ?assertEqual(400, Code),
+    ?assertMatch(
+        #{
+            <<"error">> := <<"query_parse_error">>,
+            <<"reason">> :=
+                <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+                  "start_key and end_key or set descending=true">>
+        },
+        Res
+    ).
+
+http_impossible_range_rev(Db) ->
+    {Code, Res} = http_req(Db, "?descending=true&start_key=\"a\"&end_key=\"z\""),
+    ?assertEqual(400, Code),
+    ?assertMatch(
+        #{
+            <<"error">> := <<"query_parse_error">>,
+            <<"reason">> :=
+                <<"No rows can match your key range, reverse your ",
+                  "start_key and end_key or set descending=false">>
+        },
+        Res
+    ).
+
 db_url(Db) ->
     DbName = couch_db:name(Db),
     Addr = config:get("httpd", "bind_address", "127.0.0.1"),
diff --git a/src/fabric/src/fabric.erl b/src/fabric/src/fabric.erl
index 1b8434b03e..ba7c2bbd2d 100644
--- a/src/fabric/src/fabric.erl
+++ b/src/fabric/src/fabric.erl
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ all_docs(DbName, Options, Callback, Acc0, #mrargs{} = QueryArgs0) when
     is_function(Callback, 2)
 ->
     QueryArgs = fabric_util:validate_all_docs_args(DbName, QueryArgs0),
+    couch_mrview_util:check_range(QueryArgs, fun(A, B) -> A < B end),
     fabric_view_all_docs:go(dbname(DbName), opts(Options), QueryArgs, Callback, Acc0);
 %% @doc convenience function that takes a keylist rather than a record
 %% @equiv all_docs(DbName, Callback, Acc0, kl_to_query_args(QueryArgs))