diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/Analysis/DataFlow/SparseAnalysis.h b/mlir/include/mlir/Analysis/DataFlow/SparseAnalysis.h
index 3f8874d02afad..1a33ecf8b5aa9 100644
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/Analysis/DataFlow/SparseAnalysis.h
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/Analysis/DataFlow/SparseAnalysis.h
@@ -518,6 +518,10 @@ class AbstractSparseBackwardDataFlowAnalysis : public DataFlowAnalysis {
 template <typename StateT>
 class SparseBackwardDataFlowAnalysis
     : public AbstractSparseBackwardDataFlowAnalysis {
+  static_assert(
+      std::is_base_of<AbstractSparseLattice, StateT>::value,
+      "analysis state class expected to subclass AbstractSparseLattice");
+
 public:
   explicit SparseBackwardDataFlowAnalysis(DataFlowSolver &solver,
                                           SymbolTableCollection &symbolTable)