diff --git a/mlir/lib/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces.cpp b/mlir/lib/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces.cpp
@@ -440,6 +440,11 @@
 
     const auto *iface =
         dialect->getRegisteredInterface<DataLayoutDialectInterface>();
+    if (!iface) {
+      return emitError(loc)
+             << "the '" << dialect->getNamespace()
+             << "' dialect does not support identifier data layout entries";
+    }
     if (failed(iface->verifyEntry(kvp.second, loc)))
       return failure();
   }
diff --git a/mlir/test/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces/types.mlir b/mlir/test/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces/types.mlir
--- a/mlir/test/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces/types.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/Interfaces/DataLayoutInterfaces/types.mlir
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@
 
 // -----
 
+// expected-error@below {{the 'test' dialect does not support identifier data layout entries}}
+"test.op_with_data_layout"() { dlti.dl_spec = #dlti.dl_spec<
+  #dlti.dl_entry<index, 32>,
+  #dlti.dl_entry<"test.foo", [32]>>} : () -> ()
+
+// -----
+
 // CHECK-LABEL: @index
 module @index attributes { dlti.dl_spec = #dlti.dl_spec<
   #dlti.dl_entry<index, 32>>} {