diff --git a/orm/encoding/ormkv/key_codec.go b/orm/encoding/ormkv/key_codec.go
index 58c04d93b..9b3605b5f 100644
--- a/orm/encoding/ormkv/key_codec.go
+++ b/orm/encoding/ormkv/key_codec.go
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ func NewKeyCodec(prefix []byte, messageType protoreflect.MessageType, fieldNames
 	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
 		nonTerminal := i != n-1
 		field := messageFields.ByName(fieldNames[i])
+		if field == nil {
+			return nil, ormerrors.FieldNotFound.Wrapf("field %s on %s", fieldNames[i], messageType.Descriptor().FullName())
+		}
 		cdc, err := ormfield.GetCodec(field, nonTerminal)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/orm/internal/codegen/file.go b/orm/internal/codegen/file.go
index ad6f540cc..2f2d0772f 100644
--- a/orm/internal/codegen/file.go
+++ b/orm/internal/codegen/file.go
@@ -29,12 +29,20 @@ func (f fileGen) gen() error {
 	for _, msg := range f.file.Messages {
 		tableDesc := proto.GetExtension(msg.Desc.Options(), v1alpha1.E_Table).(*v1alpha1.TableDescriptor)
 		if tableDesc != nil {
-			newTableGen(f, msg, tableDesc).gen()
+			tableGen, err := newTableGen(f, msg, tableDesc)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			tableGen.gen()
 		}
 		singletonDesc := proto.GetExtension(msg.Desc.Options(), v1alpha1.E_Singleton).(*v1alpha1.SingletonDescriptor)
 		if singletonDesc != nil {
 			// do some singleton magic
-			newSingletonGen(f, msg, singletonDesc).gen()
+			singletonGen, err := newSingletonGen(f, msg, singletonDesc)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			singletonGen.gen()
 		}
 
 		if tableDesc != nil || singletonDesc != nil { // message is one of the tables,
diff --git a/orm/internal/codegen/singleton.go b/orm/internal/codegen/singleton.go
index 2af113f9f..c7ca53a36 100644
--- a/orm/internal/codegen/singleton.go
+++ b/orm/internal/codegen/singleton.go
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ package codegen
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	ormv1alpha1 "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/api/cosmos/orm/v1alpha1"
-	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/orm/model/ormtable"
+
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/compiler/protogen"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/dynamicpb"
+
+	ormv1alpha1 "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/api/cosmos/orm/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/orm/model/ormtable"
 )
 
 type singletonGen struct {
@@ -15,17 +17,14 @@ type singletonGen struct {
 	ormTable ormtable.Table
 }
 
-func newSingletonGen(fileGen fileGen, msg *protogen.Message, table *ormv1alpha1.SingletonDescriptor) *singletonGen {
+func newSingletonGen(fileGen fileGen, msg *protogen.Message, table *ormv1alpha1.SingletonDescriptor) (*singletonGen, error) {
 	s := &singletonGen{fileGen: fileGen, msg: msg, table: table}
-	ot, err := ormtable.Build(ormtable.Options{
+	var err error
+	s.ormTable, err = ormtable.Build(ormtable.Options{
 		MessageType:         dynamicpb.NewMessageType(msg.Desc),
 		SingletonDescriptor: table,
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	s.ormTable = ot
-	return s
+	return s, err
 }
 
 func (s singletonGen) gen() {
diff --git a/orm/internal/codegen/table.go b/orm/internal/codegen/table.go
index 21cc37eda..5dd8d4725 100644
--- a/orm/internal/codegen/table.go
+++ b/orm/internal/codegen/table.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type tableGen struct {
 	ormTable         ormtable.Table
 }
 
-func newTableGen(fileGen fileGen, msg *protogen.Message, table *ormv1alpha1.TableDescriptor) *tableGen {
+func newTableGen(fileGen fileGen, msg *protogen.Message, table *ormv1alpha1.TableDescriptor) (*tableGen, error) {
 	t := &tableGen{fileGen: fileGen, msg: msg, table: table, fields: map[protoreflect.Name]*protogen.Field{}}
 	t.primaryKeyFields = fieldnames.CommaSeparatedFieldNames(table.PrimaryKey.Fields)
 	for _, field := range msg.Fields {
@@ -43,10 +43,7 @@ func newTableGen(fileGen fileGen, msg *protogen.Message, table *ormv1alpha1.Tabl
 		MessageType:     dynamicpb.NewMessageType(msg.Desc),
 		TableDescriptor: table,
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	return t
+	return t, err
 }
 
 func (t tableGen) gen() {