diff --git a/include/netlink/route/tc-api.h b/include/netlink/route/tc-api.h
index 8ed940a..d89408f 100644
--- a/include/netlink/route/tc-api.h
+++ b/include/netlink/route/tc-api.h
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ extern int			rtnl_tc_compare(struct nl_object *,
 						uint32_t, int);
 
 extern void *			rtnl_tc_data(struct rtnl_tc *);
+extern void *			rtnl_tc_data_check(struct rtnl_tc *,
+						   struct rtnl_tc_ops *);
 
 extern struct rtnl_tc_ops *	rtnl_tc_lookup_ops(enum rtnl_tc_type,
 						   const char *);
diff --git a/lib/route/tc.c b/lib/route/tc.c
index da8c75f..983555a 100644
--- a/lib/route/tc.c
+++ b/lib/route/tc.c
@@ -1010,6 +1010,21 @@ void *rtnl_tc_data(struct rtnl_tc *tc)
 	return nl_data_get(tc->tc_subdata);
 }
 
+void *rtnl_tc_data_check(struct rtnl_tc *tc, struct rtnl_tc_ops *ops)
+{
+	if (tc->tc_ops != ops) {
+		char buf[64];
+
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf),
+			 "tc object %p used in %s context but is of type %s",
+			 tc, ops->to_kind, tc->tc_ops->to_kind);
+
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return rtnl_tc_data(tc);
+}
+
 void rtnl_tc_type_register(struct rtnl_tc_type_ops *ops)
 {
 	if (ops->tt_type > RTNL_TC_TYPE_MAX)