diff --git a/packages/jsii/lib/assembler.ts b/packages/jsii/lib/assembler.ts
index d997ab95eb..58fdb81c03 100644
--- a/packages/jsii/lib/assembler.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii/lib/assembler.ts
@@ -482,6 +482,15 @@ export class Assembler implements Emitter {
             LOG.trace(`Processing enum: ${colors.gray(namespace.join('.'))}.${colors.cyan(type.symbol.name)}`);
         }
 
+        const decl = type.symbol.valueDeclaration;
+        const flags = ts.getCombinedModifierFlags(decl);
+        // tslint:disable-next-line:no-bitwise
+        if (flags & ts.ModifierFlags.Const) {
+            this._diagnostic(decl,
+                             ts.DiagnosticCategory.Error,
+                            `Exported enum cannot be declared 'const'`);
+        }
+
         const jsiiType: spec.EnumType = {
             assembly: this.projectInfo.name,
             fqn: `${[this.projectInfo.name, ...namespace].join('.')}.${type.symbol.name}`,
diff --git a/packages/jsii/test/negatives/neg.const-enum.ts b/packages/jsii/test/negatives/neg.const-enum.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bc3a792ba4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/jsii/test/negatives/neg.const-enum.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+///!MATCH_ERROR: Exported enum cannot be declared 'const'
+
+export const enum NotAllowed {
+  ThisEnum,
+  GetsInlined,
+  AndSoItGetsLost,
+  ForJsii
+}
\ No newline at end of file