diff --git a/mlir/lib/Pass/Pass.cpp b/mlir/lib/Pass/Pass.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Pass/Pass.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Pass/Pass.cpp
@@ -438,6 +438,9 @@
   if (!opInfo->hasTrait<OpTrait::IsIsolatedFromAbove>())
     return op->emitOpError() << "trying to schedule a pass on an operation not "
                                 "marked as 'IsolatedFromAbove'";
+  if (!pass->canScheduleOn(*op->getName().getRegisteredInfo()))
+    return op->emitOpError()
+           << "trying to schedule a pass on an unsupported operation";
 
   // Initialize the pass state with a callback for the pass to dynamically
   // execute a pipeline on the currently visited operation.
diff --git a/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pass-application.mlir b/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pass-application.mlir
--- a/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pass-application.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/Dialect/Transform/test-pass-application.mlir
@@ -70,3 +70,22 @@
   %1 = transform.structured.match ops{["func.func"]} in %arg1 : (!transform.any_op) -> !transform.any_op
   transform.apply_registered_pass "canonicalize" to %1 {options = "top-down=false"} : (!transform.any_op) -> !transform.any_op
 }
+
+// -----
+
+module {
+  // expected-error @below {{trying to schedule a pass on an unsupported operation}}
+  // expected-note @below {{target op}}
+  func.func @invalid_target_op_type() {
+    return
+  }
+
+  transform.sequence failures(propagate) {
+  ^bb1(%arg1: !transform.any_op):
+    %1 = transform.structured.match ops{["func.func"]} in %arg1 : (!transform.any_op) -> !transform.any_op
+
+    // func-bufferize can be applied only to ModuleOps.
+    // expected-error @below {{pass pipeline failed}}
+    transform.apply_registered_pass "func-bufferize" to %1 : (!transform.any_op) -> !transform.any_op
+  }
+}
diff --git a/mlir/unittests/Pass/PassManagerTest.cpp b/mlir/unittests/Pass/PassManagerTest.cpp
--- a/mlir/unittests/Pass/PassManagerTest.cpp
+++ b/mlir/unittests/Pass/PassManagerTest.cpp
@@ -90,9 +90,12 @@
 
   InvalidPass() : Pass(TypeID::get<InvalidPass>(), StringRef("invalid_op")) {}
   StringRef getName() const override { return "Invalid Pass"; }
-  void runOnOperation() override {}
+  void runOnOperation() override {
+    assert(getOperation()->getName().getStringRef() == "invalid_op" &&
+           "incorrect op type");
+  }
   bool canScheduleOn(RegisteredOperationName opName) const override {
-    return true;
+    return opName.getStringRef() == "invalid_op";
   }
 
   /// A clone method to create a copy of this pass.
@@ -137,6 +140,18 @@
   result = pm.run(module.get());
   EXPECT_TRUE(succeeded(result));
 
+  // Create a pass manager that schedules arbitrary ops, but then run a pass
+  // that expects a specific op.
+  PassManager anyOpPm(&context);
+  // Adding the pass succeeds, because the we do not know yet on what op the
+  // pass will be scheduled.
+  anyOpPm.addPass(std::make_unique<InvalidPass>());
+  result = anyOpPm.run(module.get());
+  EXPECT_TRUE(failed(result));
+  ASSERT_TRUE(diagnostic.get() != nullptr);
+  EXPECT_EQ(diagnostic->str(), "'builtin.module' op trying to schedule a pass "
+                               "on an unsupported operation");
+
   // Check that adding the pass at the top-level triggers a fatal error.
   ASSERT_DEATH(pm.addPass(std::make_unique<InvalidPass>()),
                "Can't add pass 'Invalid Pass' restricted to 'invalid_op' on a "