diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/aggregateddeps/AggregatedDepsMetadata.java b/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/aggregateddeps/AggregatedDepsMetadata.java
index 840ba9c00fb..0caaf7ba282 100644
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/aggregateddeps/AggregatedDepsMetadata.java
+++ b/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/aggregateddeps/AggregatedDepsMetadata.java
@@ -107,8 +107,11 @@ public static AggregatedDepsIr toIr(AggregatedDepsMetadata metadata) {
   }
 
   private static AggregatedDepsMetadata create(XTypeElement element, XProcessingEnv env) {
+    checkState(
+        element.hasAnnotation(ClassNames.AGGREGATED_DEPS),
+        "Missing @AggregatedDeps annotation on %s",
+        element.getClassName().canonicalName());
     XAnnotation annotation = element.getAnnotation(ClassNames.AGGREGATED_DEPS);
-
     return new AutoValue_AggregatedDepsMetadata(
         element,
         getTestElement(annotation.getAnnotationValue("test"), env),