diff --git a/backend/infrahub/core/schema_manager.py b/backend/infrahub/core/schema_manager.py
index 75f782bbf3..9e0f892836 100644
--- a/backend/infrahub/core/schema_manager.py
+++ b/backend/infrahub/core/schema_manager.py
@@ -903,9 +903,12 @@ def validate_menu_placements(self) -> None:
             if node.menu_placement:
                 try:
                     placement_node = self.get(name=node.menu_placement, duplicate=False)
-                except SchemaNotFoundError:
-                    raise ValueError(f"{node.kind}: {node.menu_placement} is not a valid menu placement") from None
-
+                except SchemaNotFoundError as exc:
+                    raise SchemaNotFoundError(
+                        branch_name=self.name,
+                        identifier=node.menu_placement,
+                        message=f"{node.kind} refers to an invalid menu placement node: {node.menu_placement}.",
+                    ) from exc
                 if node == placement_node:
                     raise ValueError(f"{node.kind}: cannot be placed under itself in the menu") from None
 
diff --git a/backend/tests/integration/schema_lifecycle/test_schema_missing_menu_placement.py b/backend/tests/integration/schema_lifecycle/test_schema_missing_menu_placement.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..076ea39112
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/integration/schema_lifecycle/test_schema_missing_menu_placement.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+from infrahub_sdk import InfrahubClient
+
+from .shared import (
+    TestSchemaLifecycleBase,
+)
+
+
+class TestSchemaMissingMenuPlacement(TestSchemaLifecycleBase):
+    async def test_schema_missing_menu_placement(self, client: InfrahubClient):
+        schema = {
+            "version": "1.0",
+            "nodes": [
+                {
+                    "name": "BNode",
+                    "namespace": "Infra",
+                    "menu_placement": "UnexistingNode",
+                    "label": "BNode",
+                    "display_labels": ["name__value"],
+                    "attributes": [{"name": "name", "kind": "Text", "unique": True}],
+                }
+            ],
+        }
+
+        response = await client.schema.load(schemas=[schema], branch="main")
+        assert response.schema_updated is False
+        assert response.errors["errors"][0]["extensions"]["code"] == 422
+        assert (
+            response.errors["errors"][0]["message"]
+            == "InfraBNode refers to an invalid menu placement node: UnexistingNode."
+        )
diff --git a/backend/tests/unit/core/schema_manager/test_manager_schema.py b/backend/tests/unit/core/schema_manager/test_manager_schema.py
index d2ddf74d95..c21d74dc12 100644
--- a/backend/tests/unit/core/schema_manager/test_manager_schema.py
+++ b/backend/tests/unit/core/schema_manager/test_manager_schema.py
@@ -835,10 +835,10 @@ async def test_schema_branch_validate_menu_placement():
     schema = SchemaBranch(cache={})
     schema.load_schema(schema=SchemaRoot(**FULL_SCHEMA))
 
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc:
+    with pytest.raises(SchemaNotFoundError) as exc:
         schema.validate_menu_placements()
 
-    assert str(exc.value) == "TestSubObject: NoSuchObject is not a valid menu placement"
+    assert exc.value.message == "TestSubObject refers to an invalid menu placement node: NoSuchObject."
 
 
 async def test_schema_branch_validate_same_node_menu_placement():
diff --git a/changelog/4089.fixed.md b/changelog/4089.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..daa68d8f53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/4089.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Loading a schema with a schemanode referencing an incorrect menu placement now returns a proper HTTP 422 error