diff --git a/config/main.py b/config/main.py
index 9a060056237c..4faddb1c8bd9 100644
--- a/config/main.py
+++ b/config/main.py
@@ -906,9 +906,15 @@ def cli_sroute_to_config(ctx, command_str, strict_nh = True):
     try:
         ipaddress.ip_network(ip_prefix)
         if 'nexthop' in config_entry:
-            nh = config_entry['nexthop'].split(',')
-            for ip in nh:
-                ipaddress.ip_address(ip)
+            nh_list = config_entry['nexthop'].split(',')
+            for nh in nh_list:
+                # Nexthop to portchannel
+                if nh.startswith('PortChannel'):
+                    config_db = ctx.obj['config_db']
+                    if not nh in config_db.get_keys('PORTCHANNEL'):
+                        ctx.fail("portchannel does not exist.")
+                else:
+                    ipaddress.ip_address(nh)
     except ValueError:
         ctx.fail("ip address is not valid.")
 
diff --git a/tests/static_routes_test.py b/tests/static_routes_test.py
index c354cb97c449..5704844aef5e 100644
--- a/tests/static_routes_test.py
+++ b/tests/static_routes_test.py
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 ERROR_INVALID_IP = '''
 Error: ip address is not valid.
 '''
+ERROR_INVALID_PORTCHANNEL = '''
+Error: portchannel does not exist.
+'''
 
 
 class TestStaticRoutes(object):
@@ -51,6 +54,17 @@ def test_simple_static_route(self):
         print(result.exit_code, result.output)
         assert not '1.2.3.4/32' in db.cfgdb.get_table('STATIC_ROUTE')
 
+    def test_invalid_portchannel_static_route(self):
+        db = Db()
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        obj = {'config_db':db.cfgdb}
+
+        # config route add prefix 1.2.3.4/32 nexthop PortChannel0101
+        result = runner.invoke(config.config.commands["route"].commands["add"], \
+        ["prefix", "1.2.3.4/32", "nexthop", "PortChannel0101"], obj=obj)
+        print(result.exit_code, result.output)
+        assert ERROR_INVALID_PORTCHANNEL in result.output
+
     def test_static_route_invalid_prefix_ip(self):
         db = Db()
         runner = CliRunner()