diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASCollectionView.m b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASCollectionView.m
index f66fdaab36..35682a8ae6 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASCollectionView.m
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASCollectionView.m
@@ -314,7 +314,9 @@ static BOOL _isInterceptedSelector(SEL sel)
 
 - (ASCellNode *)dataController:(ASDataController *)dataController nodeAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
-  return [_asyncDataSource collectionView:self nodeForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
+  ASCellNode *node = [_asyncDataSource collectionView:self nodeForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
+  ASDisplayNodeAssert([node isKindOfClass:ASCellNode.class], @"invalid node class, expected ASCellNode");
+  return node;
 }
 
 - (CGSize)dataController:(ASDataController *)dataController constrainedSizeForNodeAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
diff --git a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTableView.m b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTableView.m
index e97621c476..a1bcb8e48a 100644
--- a/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTableView.m
+++ b/AsyncDisplayKit/ASTableView.m
@@ -397,7 +397,9 @@ static BOOL _isInterceptedSelector(SEL sel)
 #pragma mark - ASDataControllerDelegate
 
 - (ASCellNode *)dataController:(ASDataController *)dataController nodeAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
-  return [_asyncDataSource tableView:self nodeForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
+  ASCellNode *node = [_asyncDataSource tableView:self nodeForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
+  ASDisplayNodeAssert([node isKindOfClass:ASCellNode.class], @"invalid node class, expected ASCellNode");
+  return node;
 }
 
 - (CGSize)dataController:(ASDataController *)dataController constrainedSizeForNodeAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {