diff --git a/ui/app/utils/properties/watch.js b/ui/app/utils/properties/watch.js
index f447144ca..209b42746 100644
--- a/ui/app/utils/properties/watch.js
+++ b/ui/app/utils/properties/watch.js
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import Ember from 'ember';
 import { get } from '@ember/object';
+import { assert } from '@ember/debug';
 import RSVP from 'rsvp';
 import { task } from 'ember-concurrency';
 import wait from 'nomad-ui/utils/wait';
+import Watchable from 'nomad-ui/adapters/watchable';
 import XHRToken from 'nomad-ui/utils/classes/xhr-token';
 import config from 'nomad-ui/config/environment';
 
@@ -10,6 +12,10 @@ const isEnabled = config.APP.blockingQueries !== false;
 
 export function watchRecord(modelName) {
   return task(function*(id, throttle = 2000) {
+    assert(
+      'To watch a record, the record adapter MUST extend Watchable',
+      this.store.adapterFor(modelName) instanceof Watchable
+    );
     const token = new XHRToken();
     if (typeof id === 'object') {
       id = get(id, 'id');
@@ -35,6 +41,10 @@ export function watchRecord(modelName) {
 
 export function watchRelationship(relationshipName) {
   return task(function*(model, throttle = 2000) {
+    assert(
+      'To watch a relationship, the adapter of the model provided to the watchRelationship task MUST extend Watchable',
+      this.store.adapterFor(model.constructor.modelName) instanceof Watchable
+    );
     const token = new XHRToken();
     while (isEnabled && !Ember.testing) {
       try {
@@ -56,6 +66,10 @@ export function watchRelationship(relationshipName) {
 
 export function watchAll(modelName) {
   return task(function*(throttle = 2000) {
+    assert(
+      'To watch all, the respective adapter MUST extend Watchable',
+      this.store.adapterFor(modelName) instanceof Watchable
+    );
     const token = new XHRToken();
     while (isEnabled && !Ember.testing) {
       try {
@@ -78,6 +92,10 @@ export function watchAll(modelName) {
 
 export function watchQuery(modelName) {
   return task(function*(params, throttle = 10000) {
+    assert(
+      'To watch a query, the adapter for the type being queried MUST extend Watchable',
+      this.store.adapterFor(modelName) instanceof Watchable
+    );
     const token = new XHRToken();
     while (isEnabled && !Ember.testing) {
       try {