diff --git a/activemodel/lib/active_model/attribute.rb b/activemodel/lib/active_model/attribute.rb
index 3f19cda07b..75f60d205e 100644
--- a/activemodel/lib/active_model/attribute.rb
+++ b/activemodel/lib/active_model/attribute.rb
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ module ActiveModel
           raise ActiveModel::MissingAttributeError, "can't write unknown attribute `#{name}`"
         end
         alias_method :with_value_from_user, :with_value_from_database
+        alias_method :with_cast_value, :with_value_from_database
       end
 
       class Uninitialized < Attribute # :nodoc:
diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index d4f6e6ae48..9d80bbe51f 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+*   `update_columns` now correctly raises `ActiveModel::MissingAttributeError`
+    if the attribute does not exist.
+
+    *Sean Griffin*
+
 *   Add support for hash and url configs in database hash of `ActiveRecord::Base.connected_to`.
 
     ````
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
index 45ceb1e3ad..f991a3076e 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
@@ -479,15 +479,15 @@ module ActiveRecord
         verify_readonly_attribute(key.to_s)
       end
 
+      attributes.each do |k, v|
+        write_attribute_without_type_cast(k, v)
+      end
+
       affected_rows = self.class._update_record(
         attributes,
         self.class.primary_key => id_in_database
       )
 
-      attributes.each do |k, v|
-        write_attribute_without_type_cast(k, v)
-      end
-
       affected_rows == 1
     end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/attribute_methods_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/attribute_methods_test.rb
index 0bfd46a522..6c2e256447 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/attribute_methods_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/attribute_methods_test.rb
@@ -310,6 +310,12 @@ class AttributeMethodsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
     assert_equal "New topic", topic.title
   end
 
+  test "write_attribute raises ActiveModel::MissingAttributeError when the attribute does not exist" do
+    topic = Topic.first
+    assert_raises(ActiveModel::MissingAttributeError) { topic.update_columns(no_column_exists: "Hello!") }
+    assert_raises(ActiveModel::UnknownAttributeError) { topic.update(no_column_exists: "Hello!") }
+  end
+
   test "read_attribute" do
     topic = Topic.new
     topic.title = "Don't change the topic"