diff --git a/server/jetstream_test.go b/server/jetstream_test.go
index e379d9b9084..858d11f0120 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_test.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_test.go
@@ -22755,5 +22755,6 @@ func TestJetStreamBadSubjectMappingStream(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	})
-	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	require_Error(t, err, NewJSStreamUpdateError(errors.New("unable to get subject transform for source: invalid mapping destination: too many arguments passed to the function in {{wildcard(1)}}{{split(3,1)}}")))
 }
diff --git a/server/stream.go b/server/stream.go
index c501ecbde43..a09afdbf323 100644
--- a/server/stream.go
+++ b/server/stream.go
@@ -1840,7 +1840,8 @@ func (mset *stream) updateWithAdvisory(config *StreamConfig, sendAdvisory bool)
 							var err error
 							si.trs[i], err = NewSubjectTransform(s.SubjectTransforms[i].Source, s.SubjectTransforms[i].Destination)
 							if err != nil {
-								mset.srv.Errorf("Unable to get subject transform for source: %v", err)
+								mset.mu.Unlock()
+								return fmt.Errorf("unable to get subject transform for source: %v", err)
 							}
 						}
 					}