diff --git a/include/pybind11/attr.h b/include/pybind11/attr.h
index 0676d5da6..740d3beff 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/attr.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/attr.h
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ struct type_record {
     /// Does the class require its own metaclass?
     bool metaclass : 1;
 
+    /// Is the default (unique_ptr) holder type used?
+    bool default_holder : 1;
+
     PYBIND11_NOINLINE void add_base(const std::type_info *base, void *(*caster)(void *)) {
         auto base_info = detail::get_type_info(*base, false);
         if (!base_info) {
@@ -194,6 +197,15 @@ struct type_record {
                           "\" referenced unknown base type \"" + tname + "\"");
         }
 
+        if (default_holder != base_info->default_holder) {
+            std::string tname(base->name());
+            detail::clean_type_id(tname);
+            pybind11_fail("generic_type: type \"" + std::string(name) + "\" " +
+                    (default_holder ? "does not have" : "has") +
+                    " a non-default holder type while its base \"" + tname + "\" " +
+                    (base_info->default_holder ? "does not" : "does"));
+        }
+
         bases.append((PyObject *) base_info->type);
 
         if (base_info->type->tp_dictoffset != 0)
diff --git a/include/pybind11/cast.h b/include/pybind11/cast.h
index b953cc897..9077dbba7 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/cast.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/cast.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ struct type_info {
     /** A simple type never occurs as a (direct or indirect) parent
      * of a class that makes use of multiple inheritance */
     bool simple_type = true;
+    /* for base vs derived holder_type checks */
+    bool default_holder = true;
 };
 
 PYBIND11_NOINLINE inline internals &get_internals() {
diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index addcce74b..99b1f7248 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -741,6 +741,7 @@ protected:
         tinfo->type_size = rec->type_size;
         tinfo->init_holder = rec->init_holder;
         tinfo->direct_conversions = &internals.direct_conversions[tindex];
+        tinfo->default_holder = rec->default_holder;
         internals.registered_types_cpp[tindex] = tinfo;
         internals.registered_types_py[type] = tinfo;
 
@@ -1006,6 +1007,7 @@ public:
         record.instance_size = sizeof(instance_type);
         record.init_holder = init_holder;
         record.dealloc = dealloc;
+        record.default_holder = std::is_same<holder_type, std::unique_ptr<type>>::value;
 
         /* Register base classes specified via template arguments to class_, if any */
         bool unused[] = { (add_base<options>(record), false)..., false };
diff --git a/tests/test_inheritance.cpp b/tests/test_inheritance.cpp
index 2ec0b4a7a..914b7a839 100644
--- a/tests/test_inheritance.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_inheritance.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ struct BaseClass { virtual ~BaseClass() {} };
 struct DerivedClass1 : BaseClass { };
 struct DerivedClass2 : BaseClass { };
 
+struct MismatchBase1 { };
+struct MismatchDerived1 : MismatchBase1 { };
+
+struct MismatchBase2 { };
+struct MismatchDerived2 : MismatchBase2 { };
+
 test_initializer inheritance([](py::module &m) {
     py::class_<Pet> pet_class(m, "Pet");
     pet_class
@@ -97,4 +103,15 @@ test_initializer inheritance([](py::module &m) {
             py::isinstance<Unregistered>(l[6])
         );
     });
+
+    m.def("test_mismatched_holder_type_1", []() {
+        auto m = py::module::import("__main__");
+        py::class_<MismatchBase1, std::shared_ptr<MismatchBase1>>(m, "MismatchBase1");
+        py::class_<MismatchDerived1, MismatchBase1>(m, "MismatchDerived1");
+    });
+    m.def("test_mismatched_holder_type_2", []() {
+        auto m = py::module::import("__main__");
+        py::class_<MismatchBase2>(m, "MismatchBase2");
+        py::class_<MismatchDerived2, std::shared_ptr<MismatchDerived2>, MismatchBase2>(m, "MismatchDerived2");
+    });
 });
diff --git a/tests/test_inheritance.py b/tests/test_inheritance.py
index 7bb52be02..e4ab20265 100644
--- a/tests/test_inheritance.py
+++ b/tests/test_inheritance.py
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ def test_automatic_upcasting():
     assert type(return_class_1()).__name__ == "DerivedClass1"
     assert type(return_class_2()).__name__ == "DerivedClass2"
     assert type(return_none()).__name__ == "NoneType"
-    # Repeat these a few times in a random order to ensure no invalid caching is applied
+    # Repeat these a few times in a random order to ensure no invalid caching
+    # is applied
     assert type(return_class_n(1)).__name__ == "DerivedClass1"
     assert type(return_class_n(2)).__name__ == "DerivedClass2"
     assert type(return_class_n(0)).__name__ == "BaseClass"
@@ -53,3 +54,21 @@ def test_isinstance():
     objects = [tuple(), dict(), Pet("Polly", "parrot")] + [Dog("Molly")] * 4
     expected = (True, True, True, True, True, False, False)
     assert test_isinstance(objects) == expected
+
+
+def test_holder():
+    from pybind11_tests import test_mismatched_holder_type_1, test_mismatched_holder_type_2
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        test_mismatched_holder_type_1()
+
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == ("generic_type: type \"MismatchDerived1\" does not have "
+                                  "a non-default holder type while its base "
+                                  "\"MismatchBase1\" does")
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        test_mismatched_holder_type_2()
+
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == ("generic_type: type \"MismatchDerived2\" has a "
+                                  "non-default holder type while its base "
+                                  "\"MismatchBase2\" does not")