diff --git a/mlir/lib/TableGen/AttrOrTypeDef.cpp b/mlir/lib/TableGen/AttrOrTypeDef.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/TableGen/AttrOrTypeDef.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/TableGen/AttrOrTypeDef.cpp
@@ -81,7 +81,13 @@
                     "'assemblyFormat' or 'hasCustomAssemblyFormat' can only be "
                     "used when 'mnemonic' is set");
   }
-  // Assembly format requires accessors to be generated.
+  // Assembly format parser requires default builders to be generated.
+  if (hasDeclarativeFormat && skipDefaultBuilders()) {
+    PrintFatalError(
+        getLoc(),
+        "'assemblyFormat' requires 'skipDefaultBuilders' to be false");
+  }
+  // Assembly format printer requires accessors to be generated.
   if (hasDeclarativeFormat && !genAccessors()) {
     PrintFatalError(getLoc(),
                     "'assemblyFormat' requires 'genAccessors' to be true");
diff --git a/mlir/lib/TableGen/Builder.cpp b/mlir/lib/TableGen/Builder.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/TableGen/Builder.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/TableGen/Builder.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@
   if (const auto *stringInit = dyn_cast<llvm::StringInit>(def))
     return stringInit->getValue();
   const llvm::Record *record = cast<llvm::DefInit>(def)->getDef();
+  // Inlining the first part of `Record::getValueAsString` to give better
+  // error messages.
+  const llvm::RecordVal *R = record->getValue("type");
+  if (!R || !R->getValue())
+    llvm::PrintFatalError("Builder DAG arguments must be either strings or "
+                          "defs which inherit from CArg");
   return record->getValueAsString("type");
 }
 
diff --git a/mlir/test/mlir-tblgen/attr-or-type-builder-invalid.td b/mlir/test/mlir-tblgen/attr-or-type-builder-invalid.td
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mlir/test/mlir-tblgen/attr-or-type-builder-invalid.td
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// RUN: mlir-tblgen -gen-typedef-defs -I %S/../../include -asmformat-error-is-fatal=false %s 2>&1 | FileCheck %s
+
+include "mlir/IR/AttrTypeBase.td"
+include "mlir/IR/OpBase.td"
+
+def Test_Dialect : Dialect {
+  let name = "TestDialect";
+  let cppNamespace = "::test";
+}
+
+class InvalidType<string name> : TypeDef<Test_Dialect, name> {
+  let mnemonic = ?;
+}
+
+// This definition should not generate an error due to the use in `InvalidTypeA`
+// CHECK-NOT: Record `TestParameter' does not have a field named `type'!
+def TestParameter : TypeParameter<"int", "int parameter">;
+
+// Test builder uses wrong record class.
+def InvalidTypeA : InvalidType<"InvalidTypeA"> {
+  let parameters = (ins "int":$v0);
+  let builders = [
+    // CHECK: Builder DAG arguments must be either strings or defs which inherit from CArg
+    TypeBuilder<(ins TestParameter:$arg0), [{
+      return $_get($_ctxt, arg0);
+    }]>
+  ];
+}
+