diff --git a/python/recipe.cpp b/python/recipe.cpp
index 16f78494f8..2649ba6bdf 100644
--- a/python/recipe.cpp
+++ b/python/recipe.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ void register_recipe(pybind11::module& m) {
         .def("cell_description", &py_recipe::cell_description, pybind11::return_value_policy::copy,
             "gid"_a,
             "High level description of the cell with global identifier gid.")
-        .def("cell_kind", &py_recipe::cell_kind,
+        .def("cell_kind",
+             &py_recipe::cell_kind,
             "gid"_a,
             "The kind of cell with global identifier gid.")
         .def("event_generators", &py_recipe::event_generators,
diff --git a/python/recipe.hpp b/python/recipe.hpp
index fe7624138a..8462b88138 100644
--- a/python/recipe.hpp
+++ b/python/recipe.hpp
@@ -64,7 +64,12 @@ class py_recipe_trampoline: public py_recipe {
     }
 
     arb::cell_kind cell_kind(arb::cell_gid_type gid) const override {
-        PYBIND11_OVERRIDE_PURE(arb::cell_kind, py_recipe, cell_kind, gid);
+        try {
+            PYBIND11_OVERRIDE_PURE(arb::cell_kind, py_recipe, cell_kind, gid);
+        }
+        catch (const pybind11::cast_error& e) {
+            throw pybind11::type_error{"Couldn't convert return value of recipe.cell_kind(gid) to a cell_kind. Please check your recipe."};
+        }
     }
 
     std::vector<pybind11::object> event_generators(arb::cell_gid_type gid) const override {