diff --git a/gemma-core/src/main/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilder.java b/gemma-core/src/main/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilder.java
index ae7815e89c..5311907162 100644
--- a/gemma-core/src/main/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilder.java
+++ b/gemma-core/src/main/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilder.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import ubic.gemma.model.genome.Taxon;
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
+import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -105,6 +106,9 @@ public <T extends Identifiable> EntityUrl<T> entity( T entity ) {
         }
 
         public <T extends Identifiable> EntityUrl<T> entity( Class<T> entityType, Long id ) {
+            if ( Modifier.isAbstract( entityType.getModifiers() ) ) {
+                throw new UnsupportedEntityUrlException( "Cannot generate a URL for abstract entity type " + entityType.getSimpleName() + ".", entityType );
+            }
             T entity = BeanUtils.instantiate( entityType );
             if ( entity instanceof AbstractIdentifiable ) {
                 ( ( AbstractIdentifiable ) entity ).setId( id );
diff --git a/gemma-core/src/test/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilderTest.java b/gemma-core/src/test/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilderTest.java
index 9085bf9690..9886bece0d 100644
--- a/gemma-core/src/test/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilderTest.java
+++ b/gemma-core/src/test/java/ubic/gemma/persistence/util/EntityUrlBuilderTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package ubic.gemma.persistence.util;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
+import ubic.gemma.model.blacklist.BlacklistedEntity;
 import ubic.gemma.model.common.description.Characteristic;
 import ubic.gemma.model.expression.arrayDesign.ArrayDesign;
 import ubic.gemma.model.expression.experiment.ExpressionExperiment;
@@ -81,4 +82,9 @@ public void testFactorValueOntologyUrl() {
         c.setValueUri( "http://purl.obolibrary.org/ont/NCBITaxon_9606" );
         assertThrows( UnsupportedEntityUrlException.class, () -> entityUrlBuilder.fromHostUrl().entity( c ).ont().toUriString() );
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testAbstractEntityType() {
+        assertThrows( UnsupportedEntityUrlException.class, () -> entityUrlBuilder.fromHostUrl().entity( BlacklistedEntity.class, 1L ) );
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file