diff --git a/api/models/route.go b/api/models/route.go
index e216dbf21..a93ae2ca4 100644
--- a/api/models/route.go
+++ b/api/models/route.go
@@ -49,10 +49,6 @@ var (
 func (r *Route) Validate() error {
 	var res []error
 
-	if r.Image == "" {
-		res = append(res, ErrRoutesValidationMissingImage)
-	}
-
 	if r.Memory == 0 {
 		r.Memory = 128
 	}
diff --git a/api/server/routes_create.go b/api/server/routes_create.go
index abdb69772..7374110ee 100644
--- a/api/server/routes_create.go
+++ b/api/server/routes_create.go
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ func handleRouteCreate(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if wroute.Route.Image == "" {
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, simpleError(models.ErrRoutesValidationMissingImage))
+		return
+	}
 	err = Api.Runner.EnsureImageExists(ctx, &runner.Config{
 		Image: wroute.Route.Image,
 	})
diff --git a/api/server/routes_test.go b/api/server/routes_test.go
index ed35d8bfe..a8ec4ce40 100644
--- a/api/server/routes_test.go
+++ b/api/server/routes_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ func TestRouteCreate(t *testing.T) {
 		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", ``, http.StatusBadRequest, models.ErrInvalidJSON},
 		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ }`, http.StatusBadRequest, models.ErrRoutesMissingNew},
 		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ "path": "/myroute" }`, http.StatusBadRequest, models.ErrRoutesMissingNew},
-		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ "route": { } }`, http.StatusInternalServerError, models.ErrRoutesValidationMissingImage},
+		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ "route": { } }`, http.StatusInternalServerError, models.ErrRoutesValidationMissingPath},
+		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ "route": { "path": "/myroute" } }`, http.StatusBadRequest, models.ErrRoutesValidationMissingImage},
 		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ "route": { "image": "iron/hello" } }`, http.StatusInternalServerError, models.ErrRoutesValidationMissingPath},
 		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/a/routes", `{ "route": { "image": "iron/hello", "path": "myroute" } }`, http.StatusInternalServerError, models.ErrRoutesValidationInvalidPath},
 		{&datastore.Mock{}, "/v1/apps/$/routes", `{ "route": { "image": "iron/hello", "path": "/myroute" } }`, http.StatusInternalServerError, models.ErrAppsValidationInvalidName},
@@ -50,8 +51,8 @@ func TestRouteCreate(t *testing.T) {
 
 			if !strings.Contains(resp.Error.Message, test.expectedError.Error()) {
 				t.Log(buf.String())
-				t.Errorf("Test %d: Expected error message to have `%s`",
-					i, test.expectedError.Error())
+				t.Errorf("Test %d: Expected error message to have `%s`, but it was `%s`",
+					i, test.expectedError.Error(), resp.Error.Message)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -171,7 +172,6 @@ func TestRouteUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		// errors
 		{"/v1/apps/a/routes/myroute/do", ``, http.StatusBadRequest, models.ErrInvalidJSON},
 		{"/v1/apps/a/routes/myroute/do", `{}`, http.StatusBadRequest, models.ErrRoutesMissingNew},
-		{"/v1/apps/a/routes/myroute/do", `{ "route": {} }`, http.StatusInternalServerError, models.ErrRoutesValidationMissingImage},
 
 		// success
 		{"/v1/apps/a/routes/myroute/do", `{ "route": { "image": "iron/hello", "path": "/myroute" } }`, http.StatusOK, nil},
diff --git a/api/server/routes_update.go b/api/server/routes_update.go
index 02a99a424..d86fd3cd5 100644
--- a/api/server/routes_update.go
+++ b/api/server/routes_update.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/models"
+	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/runner"
 	"github.com/iron-io/runner/common"
 )
 
@@ -31,10 +32,14 @@ func handleRouteUpdate(c *gin.Context) {
 	wroute.Route.AppName = c.Param("app")
 	wroute.Route.Path = c.Param("route")
 
-	if err := wroute.Validate(); err != nil {
-		log.Error(err)
-		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, simpleError(err))
-		return
+	if wroute.Route.Image != "" {
+		err = Api.Runner.EnsureImageExists(ctx, &runner.Config{
+			Image: wroute.Route.Image,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, simpleError(models.ErrUsableImage))
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	_, err = Api.Datastore.UpdateRoute(wroute.Route)