diff --git a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/BUILD.bazel b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/BUILD.bazel
index 0a2d9c205..96e2a7db9 100644
--- a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/BUILD.bazel
@@ -86,8 +86,10 @@ go_test(
     srcs = ["main_test.go"],
     embed = [":gateway_lib"],  # keep
     deps = [
+        "//api/base/mergestrategy/protopb:go_default_library",
         "//api/submitqueue/gateway/protopb:go_default_library",
         "//platform/errs:go_default_library",
+        "//service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper:go_default_library",
         "//submitqueue/entity:go_default_library",
         "//submitqueue/extension/queueconfig/mock:go_default_library",
         "//submitqueue/gateway/controller:go_default_library",
diff --git a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/main_test.go b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/main_test.go
index 612fd42d5..54aea2986 100644
--- a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/main_test.go
+++ b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/main_test.go
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/uber-go/tally"
+	mergestrategypb "github.com/uber/submitqueue/api/base/mergestrategy/protopb"
 	pb "github.com/uber/submitqueue/api/submitqueue/gateway/protopb"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/errs"
+	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/submitqueue/entity"
 	qcmock "github.com/uber/submitqueue/submitqueue/extension/queueconfig/mock"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/submitqueue/gateway/controller"
@@ -137,3 +139,12 @@ func TestGatewayStatusError(t *testing.T) {
 	infraErr := errors.New("storage unavailable")
 	assert.Equal(t, infraErr, gatewayStatusError(infraErr))
 }
+
+func TestGatewayStatusErrorUnknownLandStrategy(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := mapper.ProtoToLandRequest(&pb.LandRequest{
+		Queue:    "test-queue",
+		Strategy: mergestrategypb.Strategy(9999),
+	})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, codes.InvalidArgument, status.Code(gatewayStatusError(err)))
+}
diff --git a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/BUILD.bazel b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/BUILD.bazel
index b014aa3ea..4442956d8 100644
--- a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/BUILD.bazel
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ go_library(
         "//api/submitqueue/gateway/protopb:go_default_library",
         "//platform/base/change:go_default_library",
         "//platform/base/mergestrategy:go_default_library",
+        "//platform/errs:go_default_library",
         "//submitqueue/entity:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ go_test(
         "//api/submitqueue/gateway/protopb:go_default_library",
         "//platform/base/change:go_default_library",
         "//platform/base/mergestrategy:go_default_library",
+        "//platform/errs:go_default_library",
         "//submitqueue/entity:go_default_library",
         "@com_github_stretchr_testify//assert:go_default_library",
         "@com_github_stretchr_testify//require:go_default_library",
diff --git a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land.go b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land.go
index b33fc2c03..67b5be817 100644
--- a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land.go
+++ b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	pb "github.com/uber/submitqueue/api/submitqueue/gateway/protopb"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/base/change"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/base/mergestrategy"
+	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/errs"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/submitqueue/entity"
 )
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ var errUnknownStrategy = errors.New("unknown land strategy in proto message")
 func ProtoToLandRequest(req *pb.LandRequest) (entity.LandRequest, error) {
 	strategy, err := resolveLandStrategy(req.GetStrategy())
 	if err != nil {
-		return entity.LandRequest{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to map land strategy: %w", err)
+		return entity.LandRequest{}, errs.NewUserError(fmt.Errorf("failed to map land strategy: %w", err))
 	}
 	return entity.LandRequest{
 		Queue:        req.GetQueue(),
diff --git a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land_test.go b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land_test.go
index f1e6ef253..5e788b60c 100644
--- a/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land_test.go
+++ b/service/submitqueue/gateway/server/mapper/land_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	pb "github.com/uber/submitqueue/api/submitqueue/gateway/protopb"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/base/change"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/base/mergestrategy"
+	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/platform/errs"
 	"github.com/uber/submitqueue/submitqueue/entity"
 )
 
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ func TestProtoToLandRequest(t *testing.T) {
 			got, err := ProtoToLandRequest(tt.req)
 			if tt.expectedErr != nil {
 				require.ErrorIs(t, err, tt.expectedErr)
+				assert.True(t, errs.IsUserError(err))
 				return
 			}
 			require.NoError(t, err)