diff --git a/app/models/hyrax/file_set.rb b/app/models/hyrax/file_set.rb
index 6e85abf88a..377450020c 100644
--- a/app/models/hyrax/file_set.rb
+++ b/app/models/hyrax/file_set.rb
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ def representative_id
       id
     end
 
+    ##
+    # @return [Valkyrie::ID]
+    def representative_id=(input)
+      # saving a file set using valkyrie would err because this method didn't exist.
+      Rails.logger.warn('This is not a valid method for file sets')
+      id
+    end
+
     ##
     # @return [Boolean] true
     def pcdm_object?