diff --git a/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-rest-posts-controller.php b/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-rest-posts-controller.php
index ef3842bd77f..fa71c8b7659 100644
--- a/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-rest-posts-controller.php
+++ b/includes/abstracts/abstract-wc-rest-posts-controller.php
@@ -142,7 +142,9 @@ abstract class WC_REST_Posts_Controller extends WC_REST_Controller {
 		$id   = (int) $request['id'];
 		$post = get_post( $id );
 
-		if ( empty( $id ) || empty( $post->ID ) || $post->post_type !== $this->post_type ) {
+		if ( ! empty( $post->post_type ) && 'product_variation' === $post->post_type && 'product' === $this->post_type ) {
+			return new WP_Error( "woocommerce_rest_invalid_{$this->post_type}_id", __( 'To manipulate product variations you should use the /products/<product_id>/variations/<id> endpoint.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 404 ) );
+		} elseif ( empty( $id ) || empty( $post->ID ) || $post->post_type !== $this->post_type ) {
 			return new WP_Error( "woocommerce_rest_invalid_{$this->post_type}_id", __( 'Invalid ID.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 404 ) );
 		}
 
@@ -247,7 +249,9 @@ abstract class WC_REST_Posts_Controller extends WC_REST_Controller {
 		$id   = (int) $request['id'];
 		$post = get_post( $id );
 
-		if ( empty( $id ) || empty( $post->ID ) || $post->post_type !== $this->post_type ) {
+		if ( ! empty( $post->post_type ) && 'product_variation' === $post->post_type && 'product' === $this->post_type ) {
+			return new WP_Error( "woocommerce_rest_invalid_{$this->post_type}_id", __( 'To manipulate product variations you should use the /products/<product_id>/variations/<id> endpoint.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 404 ) );
+		} elseif ( empty( $id ) || empty( $post->ID ) || $post->post_type !== $this->post_type ) {
 			return new WP_Error( "woocommerce_rest_{$this->post_type}_invalid_id", __( 'ID is invalid.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
 		}
 
diff --git a/includes/api/class-wc-rest-products-controller.php b/includes/api/class-wc-rest-products-controller.php
index 3650fda85b8..94f6da5f660 100644
--- a/includes/api/class-wc-rest-products-controller.php
+++ b/includes/api/class-wc-rest-products-controller.php
@@ -1786,7 +1786,9 @@ class WC_REST_Products_Controller extends WC_REST_Posts_Controller {
 		$force = (bool) $request['force'];
 		$post  = get_post( $id );
 
-		if ( empty( $id ) || empty( $post->ID ) || $post->post_type !== $this->post_type ) {
+		if ( ! empty( $post->post_type ) && 'product_variation' === $post->post_type && 'product' === $this->post_type ) {
+			return new WP_Error( "woocommerce_rest_invalid_{$this->post_type}_id", __( 'To manipulate product variations you should use the /products/<product_id>/variations/<id> endpoint.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 404 ) );
+		} elseif ( empty( $id ) || empty( $post->ID ) || $post->post_type !== $this->post_type ) {
 			return new WP_Error( "woocommerce_rest_{$this->post_type}_invalid_id", __( 'Invalid post ID.', 'woocommerce' ), array( 'status' => 404 ) );
 		}