diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/apiuser/UserMutationResolver.java b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/apiuser/UserMutationResolver.java
index 3ce0b0fcba..83b33cb666 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/apiuser/UserMutationResolver.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/apiuser/UserMutationResolver.java
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 package gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.apiuser;
 
-import static gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.service.ApiUserService.MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR;
-
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.Translators;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.Role;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.User;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.UserInput;
-import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.IllegalGraphqlArgumentException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.config.AuthorizationConfiguration;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.db.model.ApiUser;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.db.model.auxiliary.PersonName;
@@ -172,19 +169,13 @@ public User updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess(
       @Argument boolean accessAllFacilities,
       @Argument List<UUID> facilities,
       @Argument Role role) {
-    try {
-      List<UUID> facilityIdsToAssign = facilities == null ? List.of() : facilities;
-      _us.updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess(
-          username,
-          orgExternalId,
-          accessAllFacilities,
-          facilityIdsToAssign,
-          role.toOrganizationRole());
-      return new User(_us.getUserByLoginEmail(username));
-
-    } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-      throw new IllegalGraphqlArgumentException(
-          "Error updating user privileges and / or group access: " + MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR);
-    }
+    List<UUID> facilityIdsToAssign = facilities == null ? List.of() : facilities;
+    _us.updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess(
+        username,
+        orgExternalId,
+        accessAllFacilities,
+        facilityIdsToAssign,
+        role.toOrganizationRole());
+    return new User(_us.getUserByLoginEmail(username));
   }
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/model/errors/PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException.java b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/model/errors/PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7c3a79851c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/api/model/errors/PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors;
+
+import graphql.ErrorClassification;
+import graphql.ErrorType;
+import graphql.GraphQLError;
+import graphql.language.SourceLocation;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+
+/** Exception to throw when a facility ID can't be found in an organization query */
+public class PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException extends RuntimeException
+    implements GraphQLError {
+
+  private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+
+  public static final String PRIVILEGE_UPDATE_FACILITY_ACCESS_ERROR =
+      "Operation must specify a list of facilities for the user to access or allow them access to all facilities";
+
+  public PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException() {
+    super(PRIVILEGE_UPDATE_FACILITY_ACCESS_ERROR);
+  }
+
+  @Override // should-be-defaulted unused interface method
+  public List<SourceLocation> getLocations() {
+    return Collections.emptyList();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public ErrorClassification getErrorType() {
+    return ErrorType.ExecutionAborted;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/config/GraphQlConfig.java b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/config/GraphQlConfig.java
index 69ccbf1a3d..dcd20f5e35 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/config/GraphQlConfig.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/config/GraphQlConfig.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.IllegalGraphqlFieldAccessException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.NonexistentUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.OktaAccountUserException;
+import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.RestrictedAccessUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.TestEventSerializationFailureException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.UnidentifiedFacilityException;
@@ -105,6 +106,13 @@ public DataFetcherExceptionResolver dataFetcherExceptionResolver() {
         return Mono.just(singletonList(new GenericGraphqlException(errorMessage, errorPath)));
       }
 
+      if (exception instanceof PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException) {
+        String errorMessage =
+            "header: Error updating user privileges and / or group access; body: "
+                + exception.getMessage();
+        return Mono.just(singletonList(new GenericGraphqlException(errorMessage, errorPath)));
+      }
+
       return Mono.just(singletonList(new GenericGraphqlException((errorPath))));
     };
   }
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserService.java b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserService.java
index 508e3b6c36..38d7c7ccf7 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserService.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserService.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.MisconfiguredUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.NonexistentUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.OktaAccountUserException;
+import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.RestrictedAccessUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.UnidentifiedFacilityException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.UnidentifiedUserException;
@@ -72,9 +73,6 @@ public class ApiUserService {
 
   @Autowired private ApiUserContextHolder _apiUserContextHolder;
 
-  public static final String MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR =
-      "Operation must specify a list of facilities for the user to access or allow them access to all facilities";
-
   private void createUserUpdatedAuditLog(Object authorId, Object updatedUserId) {
     log.info("User with id={} updated by user with id={}", authorId, updatedUserId);
   }
@@ -724,7 +722,7 @@ public void updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess(
       throws IllegalGraphqlArgumentException {
 
     if (!allFacilitiesAccess && facilities.isEmpty()) {
-      throw new IllegalArgumentException(MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR);
+      throw new PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException();
     }
 
     Organization newOrg = _orgService.getOrganization(orgExternalId);
diff --git a/backend/src/test/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserServiceTest.java b/backend/src/test/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserServiceTest.java
index ac6aa409cd..8f3a2de265 100644
--- a/backend/src/test/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserServiceTest.java
+++ b/backend/src/test/java/gov/cdc/usds/simplereport/service/ApiUserServiceTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.service;
 
-import static gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.service.ApiUserService.MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR;
+import static gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException.PRIVILEGE_UPDATE_FACILITY_ACCESS_ERROR;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.IllegalGraphqlArgumentException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.NonexistentUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.OktaAccountUserException;
+import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.RestrictedAccessUserException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.api.model.errors.UnidentifiedFacilityException;
 import gov.cdc.usds.simplereport.config.authorization.OrganizationRole;
@@ -508,27 +509,27 @@ void updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess_assignToAllFacilities_success() {
   @Test
   @WithSimpleReportSiteAdminUser
   void
-      updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess_assignToAllFalseWithoutFacilities_throwsIllegalArgException() {
+      updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess_assignToAllFalseWithoutFacilities_throwsPrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException() {
     initSampleData();
     final String email = "allfacilities@example.com";
     Organization orgToTestMovementTo = _dataFactory.saveValidOrganization();
     String moveOrgExternalId = orgToTestMovementTo.getExternalId();
     List<UUID> emptyList = List.of();
-    IllegalArgumentException caught =
+    PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException caught =
         assertThrows(
-            IllegalArgumentException.class,
+            PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException.class,
             () ->
                 _service.updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess(
                     email, moveOrgExternalId, false, emptyList, OrganizationRole.USER));
-    assertEquals(MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR, caught.getMessage());
+    assertEquals(PRIVILEGE_UPDATE_FACILITY_ACCESS_ERROR, caught.getMessage());
 
-    IllegalArgumentException caught2 =
+    PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException caught2 =
         assertThrows(
-            IllegalArgumentException.class,
+            PrivilegeUpdateFacilityAccessException.class,
             () ->
                 _service.updateUserPrivilegesAndGroupAccess(
                     email, moveOrgExternalId, false, OrganizationRole.USER));
-    assertEquals(MOVE_USER_ARGUMENT_ERROR, caught2.getMessage());
+    assertEquals(PRIVILEGE_UPDATE_FACILITY_ACCESS_ERROR, caught2.getMessage());
   }
 
   @Test