diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qobject.h b/src/corelib/kernel/qobject.h
index 76863d66bcf..6fe575f29ec 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qobject.h
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qobject.h
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ public:
     T findChild(QAnyStringView aName, Qt::FindChildOptions options = Qt::FindChildrenRecursively) const
     {
         typedef typename std::remove_cv<typename std::remove_pointer<T>::type>::type ObjType;
+        static_assert(QtPrivate::HasQ_OBJECT_Macro<ObjType>::Value,
+                          "No Q_OBJECT in the class passed to QObject::findChild");
         return static_cast<T>(qt_qFindChild_helper(this, aName, ObjType::staticMetaObject, options));
     }
 
@@ -155,6 +157,8 @@ public:
     QList<T> findChildren(QAnyStringView aName, Qt::FindChildOptions options = Qt::FindChildrenRecursively) const
     {
         typedef typename std::remove_cv<typename std::remove_pointer<T>::type>::type ObjType;
+        static_assert(QtPrivate::HasQ_OBJECT_Macro<ObjType>::Value,
+                          "No Q_OBJECT in the class passed to QObject::findChildren");
         QList<T> list;
         qt_qFindChildren_helper(this, aName, ObjType::staticMetaObject,
                                 reinterpret_cast<QList<void *> *>(&list), options);
@@ -178,6 +182,8 @@ public:
     inline QList<T> findChildren(const QRegularExpression &re, Qt::FindChildOptions options = Qt::FindChildrenRecursively) const
     {
         typedef typename std::remove_cv<typename std::remove_pointer<T>::type>::type ObjType;
+        static_assert(QtPrivate::HasQ_OBJECT_Macro<ObjType>::Value,
+                          "No Q_OBJECT in the class passed to QObject::findChildren");
         QList<T> list;
         qt_qFindChildren_helper(this, re, ObjType::staticMetaObject,
                                 reinterpret_cast<QList<void *> *>(&list), options);