diff --git a/haiku/_src/recurrent.py b/haiku/_src/recurrent.py
index 413025a93..9adccdf63 100644
--- a/haiku/_src/recurrent.py
+++ b/haiku/_src/recurrent.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 hk.get_parameter = base.get_parameter
 hk.Module = module.Module
 hk.scan = stateful.scan
+inside_transform = base.inside_transform
 del base, basic, conv, initializers, module
 
 
@@ -154,11 +155,12 @@ def dynamic_unroll(core, input_sequence, initial_state):
         of shape ``[T, ...]``.
       * **final_state** - Core state at time step ``T``.
   """
+  scan = hk.scan if inside_transform() else jax.lax.scan
   # Swap the input and output of core.
   def scan_f(prev_state, inputs):
     outputs, next_state = core(inputs, prev_state)
     return next_state, outputs
-  final_state, output_sequence = hk.scan(
+  final_state, output_sequence = scan(
       scan_f,
       initial_state,
       input_sequence)
diff --git a/haiku/_src/recurrent_test.py b/haiku/_src/recurrent_test.py
index c7f2ef817..cbaaccc05 100644
--- a/haiku/_src/recurrent_test.py
+++ b/haiku/_src/recurrent_test.py
@@ -96,6 +96,14 @@ def test_core_unroll_nested(self, unroll):
     for out in outs:
       self.assertEqual(out.shape, (4, 8, 4))
 
+  @parameterized.parameters(recurrent.dynamic_unroll, recurrent.static_unroll)
+  def test_unroll_outside_transform(self, unroll):
+    core = lambda x, s: (x + 1, s + 1)
+    seqs = jnp.arange(8)
+    outs, state = unroll(core, seqs, 0)
+    np.testing.assert_allclose(outs, jnp.arange(9)[1:])
+    np.testing.assert_allclose(state, 8)
+
 
 class LSTMTest(absltest.TestCase):
 
diff --git a/haiku/_src/stateful.py b/haiku/_src/stateful.py
index 69e3d320f..e2ace4a26 100644
--- a/haiku/_src/stateful.py
+++ b/haiku/_src/stateful.py
@@ -386,6 +386,10 @@ def cond(pred, true_operand, true_fun, false_operand, false_fun):
 
 def scan(f, init, xs, length=None, reverse=False):
   """Equivalent to `jax.lax.scan` but with Haiku state threaded in and out."""
+  if not base.inside_transform():
+    raise ValueError("hk.scan() should not be used outside of hk.transform(). "
+                     "Use jax.scan() instead.")
+
   if length is None:
     length = jax.tree_leaves(xs)[0].shape[0]
 
diff --git a/haiku/_src/stateful_test.py b/haiku/_src/stateful_test.py
index dfcbf66f0..0ccf3378c 100644
--- a/haiku/_src/stateful_test.py
+++ b/haiku/_src/stateful_test.py
@@ -218,6 +218,11 @@ def test_difference_rng(self):
     self.assertEmpty(diff.state)
     self.assertIsNotNone(diff.rng)
 
+  def test_scan_no_transform(self):
+    xs = jnp.arange(3)
+    with self.assertRaises(ValueError, msg="Use jax.scan() instead"):
+      stateful.scan(lambda c, x: (c, x), (), xs)
+
   @parameterized.parameters(0, 1, 2, 4, 8)
   def test_scan_with_state(self, unroll_length):
     def f(xs):