diff --git a/src/api.rs b/src/api.rs
index d6411d30..bf85fa0f 100644
--- a/src/api.rs
+++ b/src/api.rs
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ impl<L: Language> SyntaxNode<L> {
         SyntaxNode::from(self.raw.clone_for_update())
     }
 
+    pub fn is_mutable(&self) -> bool {
+        self.raw.is_mutable()
+    }
+
     pub fn detach(&self) {
         self.raw.detach()
     }
diff --git a/src/ast.rs b/src/ast.rs
index 856a9f63..e142395b 100644
--- a/src/ast.rs
+++ b/src/ast.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ pub trait AstNode {
 }
 
 /// A "pointer" to a [`SyntaxNode`], via location in the source code.
+///
+/// ## Note
+/// Since the location is source code dependent, this must not be used
+/// with mutable syntax trees. Any changes made in such trees causes
+/// the pointed node's source location to change, invalidating the pointer.
 #[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
 pub struct SyntaxNodePtr<L: Language> {
     kind: L::Kind,
@@ -63,7 +68,10 @@ pub struct SyntaxNodePtr<L: Language> {
 
 impl<L: Language> SyntaxNodePtr<L> {
     /// Returns a [`SyntaxNodePtr`] for the node.
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the provided node is mutable
     pub fn new(node: &SyntaxNode<L>) -> Self {
+        assert!(!node.is_mutable(), "tree is mutable");
         Self { kind: node.kind(), range: node.text_range() }
     }
 
@@ -82,10 +90,13 @@ impl<L: Language> SyntaxNodePtr<L> {
     /// Also returns `None` if `root` is not actually a root (i.e. it has a
     /// parent).
     ///
+    /// NOTE: If this function is called on a mutable tree, it will panic
+    ///
     /// The complexity is linear in the depth of the tree and logarithmic in
     /// tree width. As most trees are shallow, thinking about this as
     /// `O(log(N))` in the size of the tree is not too wrong!
     pub fn try_to_node(&self, root: &SyntaxNode<L>) -> Option<SyntaxNode<L>> {
+        assert!(!root.is_mutable(), "tree is mutable");
         if root.parent().is_some() {
             return None;
         }
@@ -113,13 +124,21 @@ impl<L: Language> SyntaxNodePtr<L> {
 }
 
 /// Like [`SyntaxNodePtr`], but remembers the type of node.
+///
+/// ## Note
+/// As with [`SyntaxNodePtr`], this must not be used on mutable
+/// syntax trees, since any mutation can cause the pointed node's
+/// source location to change, invalidating the pointer
 pub struct AstPtr<N: AstNode> {
     raw: SyntaxNodePtr<N::Language>,
 }
 
 impl<N: AstNode> AstPtr<N> {
     /// Returns an [`AstPtr`] for the node.
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the provided node is mutable
     pub fn new(node: &N) -> Self {
+        // The above mentioned panic is handled by SyntaxNodePtr
         Self { raw: SyntaxNodePtr::new(node.syntax()) }
     }
 
@@ -129,8 +148,9 @@ impl<N: AstNode> AstPtr<N> {
     }
 
     /// Given the root node containing the node `n` that `self` is a pointer to,
-    /// returns `n` if possible. See [`SyntaxNodePtr::try_to_node`].
+    /// returns `n` if possible. Panics if `root` is mutable. See [`SyntaxNodePtr::try_to_node`].
     pub fn try_to_node(&self, root: &SyntaxNode<N::Language>) -> Option<N> {
+        // The above mentioned panic is handled by SyntaxNodePtr
         N::cast(self.raw.try_to_node(root)?)
     }
 
@@ -215,3 +235,53 @@ pub mod support {
         parent.children_with_tokens().filter_map(|it| it.into_token()).find(|it| it.kind() == kind)
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::{GreenNodeBuilder, Language, SyntaxKind, SyntaxNode};
+
+    use super::SyntaxNodePtr;
+
+    #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
+    struct TestLanguage;
+    impl Language for TestLanguage {
+        type Kind = SyntaxKind;
+
+        fn kind_from_raw(raw: SyntaxKind) -> Self::Kind {
+            raw
+        }
+
+        fn kind_to_raw(kind: Self::Kind) -> SyntaxKind {
+            kind
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn build_immut_tree() -> SyntaxNode<TestLanguage> {
+        // Creates a single-node tree
+        let mut builder = GreenNodeBuilder::new();
+        builder.start_node(SyntaxKind(0));
+        builder.finish_node();
+
+        SyntaxNode::<TestLanguage>::new_root(builder.finish())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic = "tree is mutable"]
+    fn ensure_mut_panic_on_create() {
+        // Make a mutable version
+        let tree = build_immut_tree().clone_for_update();
+
+        SyntaxNodePtr::new(&tree);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic = "tree is mutable"]
+    fn ensure_mut_panic_on_deref() {
+        let tree = build_immut_tree();
+        let tree_mut = tree.clone_for_update();
+
+        // Create on immutable, convert on mutable
+        let syn_ptr = SyntaxNodePtr::new(&tree);
+        syn_ptr.to_node(&tree_mut);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/cursor.rs b/src/cursor.rs
index 671be234..9060507e 100644
--- a/src/cursor.rs
+++ b/src/cursor.rs
@@ -544,6 +544,10 @@ impl SyntaxNode {
         SyntaxNode { ptr: NodeData::new(Some(parent), index, offset, green, mutable) }
     }
 
+    pub fn is_mutable(&self) -> bool {
+        self.data().mutable
+    }
+
     pub fn clone_for_update(&self) -> SyntaxNode {
         assert!(!self.data().mutable);
         match self.parent() {