diff --git a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/Summarize.node.ts b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/Summarize.node.ts
index fd5642ff97..481fb7829d 100644
--- a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/Summarize.node.ts
+++ b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/Summarize.node.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import {
 	fieldValueGetter,
 	splitData,
 } from './utils';
-// import type { IPairedItemData } from '../../../../workflow/src/Interfaces'; // [ria] this is an interface but cannot import it as such!
 
 export class Summarize implements INodeType {
 	description: INodeTypeDescription = {
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ export class Summarize implements INodeType {
 		icon: 'file:summarize.svg',
 		group: ['transform'],
 		subtitle: '',
-		version: 1,
+		version: [1, 1.1],
 		description: 'Sum, count, max, etc. across items',
 		defaults: {
 			name: 'Summarize',
@@ -244,7 +243,6 @@ export class Summarize implements INodeType {
 				placeholder: 'Add option',
 				default: {},
 				options: [
-					// [ria] potentially delete this option??
 					{
 						displayName: 'Continue if Field Not Found',
 						name: 'continueIfFieldNotFound',
@@ -317,23 +315,18 @@ export class Summarize implements INodeType {
 
 		const nodeVersion = this.getNode().typeVersion;
 
-		if (nodeVersion < 2.1) {
-			const fieldNotFound: string | undefined = checkIfFieldExists.call(
-				this,
-				newItems,
-				fieldsToSummarize,
-				getValue,
-			);
-			if (options.continueIfFieldNotFound || fieldNotFound) {
-				// const itemData: IPairedItemData[] = generatePairedItemData(items.length); // [ria] had to delete type because i was getting compilation errors
+		try {
+			checkIfFieldExists.call(this, newItems, fieldsToSummarize, getValue);
+		} catch (error) {
+			if (nodeVersion > 1 || options.continueIfFieldNotFound) {
 				const itemData = generatePairedItemData(items.length);
 				const fieldNotFoundHint: NodeExecutionHint = {
-					message: `The field '${fieldNotFound}' does not exist in any items.`,
+					message: error.message,
 					location: 'outputPane',
 				};
 				return new NodeExecutionOutput([[{ json: {}, pairedItem: itemData }]], [fieldNotFoundHint]);
 			} else {
-				// throw error; // [ria] show hints instead
+				throw error;
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/utils.ts b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/utils.ts
index 03afa04118..9a67ad0b98 100644
--- a/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/nodes-base/nodes/Transform/Summarize/utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import get from 'lodash/get';
-import { type IDataObject, type GenericValue, type IExecuteFunctions } from 'n8n-workflow';
+import {
+	type IDataObject,
+	type GenericValue,
+	type IExecuteFunctions,
+	NodeOperationError,
+} from 'n8n-workflow';
 
 type AggregationType =
 	| 'append'
@@ -89,7 +94,6 @@ export const fieldValueGetter = (disableDotNotation?: boolean) => {
 };
 
 export function checkIfFieldExists(
-	// add tests that check that no error is thrown and instead warning is issued
 	this: IExecuteFunctions,
 	items: IDataObject[],
 	aggregations: Aggregations,
@@ -101,13 +105,10 @@ export function checkIfFieldExists(
 		}
 		const exist = items.some((item) => getValue(item, aggregation.field) !== undefined);
 		if (!exist) {
-			return aggregation.field;
-			// throw new NodeOperationError(
-			// turn this into warning instead of error will return early
-			// return aggregation.field -> field name can be used in the hint description! but if it returns... does it end the iteration!?
-			// 	this.getNode(),
-			// 	`The field '${aggregation.field}' does not exist in any items`,
-			// );
+			throw new NodeOperationError(
+				this.getNode(),
+				`The field '${aggregation.field}' does not exist in any items`,
+			);
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -230,20 +231,20 @@ export function splitData(
 	const [firstSplitKey, ...restSplitKeys] = splitKeys;
 
 	const groupedData = data.reduce((acc, item) => {
-		let keyValuee = getValue(item, firstSplitKey) as string;
+		let keyValue = getValue(item, firstSplitKey) as string;
 
-		if (typeof keyValuee === 'object') {
-			keyValuee = JSON.stringify(keyValuee);
+		if (typeof keyValue === 'object') {
+			keyValue = JSON.stringify(keyValue);
 		}
 
-		if (options.skipEmptySplitFields && typeof keyValuee !== 'number' && !keyValuee) {
+		if (options.skipEmptySplitFields && typeof keyValue !== 'number' && !keyValue) {
 			return acc;
 		}
 
-		if (acc[keyValuee] === undefined) {
-			acc[keyValuee] = [item];
+		if (acc[keyValue] === undefined) {
+			acc[keyValue] = [item];
 		} else {
-			(acc[keyValuee] as IDataObject[]).push(item);
+			(acc[keyValue] as IDataObject[]).push(item);
 		}
 		return acc;
 	}, {} as IDataObject);