diff --git a/ast/compile.go b/ast/compile.go
index 46954f7037..acf688a157 100644
--- a/ast/compile.go
+++ b/ast/compile.go
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ func NewCompiler() *Compiler {
 		stage{c.setRuleTree, "setRuleTree"},
 		stage{c.setRuleGraph, "setRuleGraph"},
 		stage{c.rewriteRefsInHead, "rewriteRefsInHead"},
+		stage{c.checkRuleConflicts, "checkRuleConflicts"},
 		stage{c.checkBuiltins, "checkBuiltins"},
 		stage{c.checkSafetyRuleHeads, "checkSafetyRuleHeads"},
 		stage{c.checkSafetyRuleBodies, "checkSafetyRuleBodies"},
@@ -297,6 +298,27 @@ func (c *Compiler) checkRecursion() {
 	}
 }
 
+// checkRuleConflicts ensures that rules definitions are not in conflict.
+func (c *Compiler) checkRuleConflicts() {
+	c.RuleTree.DepthFirst(func(node *RuleTreeNode) bool {
+		if len(node.Rules) == 0 {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		kinds := map[DocKind]struct{}{}
+		for _, rule := range node.Rules {
+			kinds[rule.DocKind()] = struct{}{}
+		}
+
+		if len(kinds) > 1 {
+			name := Var(node.Key.(String))
+			c.err(NewError(CompileErr, node.Rules[0].Loc(), "%v: conflicting rule types (all definitions of %v must have the same type)", name, name))
+		}
+
+		return false
+	})
+}
+
 // checkSafetyRuleBodies ensures that variables appearing in negated expressions or non-target
 // positions of built-in expressions will be bound when evaluating the rule from left
 // to right, re-ordering as necessary.
@@ -651,6 +673,16 @@ func (n *RuleTreeNode) Size() int {
 	return s
 }
 
+// DepthFirst performs a depth-first traversal of the rule tree rooted at n. If
+// f returns true, traversal will not continue to the children of n.
+func (n *RuleTreeNode) DepthFirst(f func(node *RuleTreeNode) bool) {
+	if !f(n) {
+		for _, node := range n.Children {
+			node.DepthFirst(f)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // builtinChecker verifies that built-in functions are called correctly.
 type builtinChecker struct {
 	errors *Errors
diff --git a/ast/compile_test.go b/ast/compile_test.go
index 713b60863b..f7e083ff76 100644
--- a/ast/compile_test.go
+++ b/ast/compile_test.go
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ func TestCompilerCheckSafetyBodyErrors(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
-func TestCompilerBuiltins(t *testing.T) {
+func TestCompilerCheckBuiltins(t *testing.T) {
 	c := NewCompiler()
 	c.Modules = map[string]*Module{
 		"mod": MustParseModule(`
@@ -390,20 +390,35 @@ func TestCompilerBuiltins(t *testing.T) {
 			`),
 	}
 	compileStages(c, "", "checkBuiltins")
-	result := compilerErrsToStringSlice(c.Errors)
+
 	expected := []string{
 		"p: wrong number of arguments (expression count(1) must specify 2 arguments to built-in function count)",
 		"q: wrong number of arguments (expression count([1,2,3], x, 1) must specify 2 arguments to built-in function count)",
 		"r: unknown built-in function deadbeef",
 	}
-	if len(result) != len(expected) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected %d:\n%v\nBut got %d:\n%v", len(expected), strings.Join(expected, "\n"), len(result), strings.Join(result, "\n"))
+
+	assertCompilerErrorStrings(t, c, expected)
+}
+
+func TestCompilerCheckRuleConflicts(t *testing.T) {
+	c := NewCompiler()
+	c.Modules = map[string]*Module{
+		"mod": MustParseModule(`
+		package badrules
+		p[x] :- x=1
+		p[x] = y :- x = y, x = 1
+		q[1] :- true
+		q = {1,2,3} :- true
+		`),
 	}
-	for i := range result {
-		if expected[i] != result[i] {
-			t.Errorf("Expected %v but got: %v", expected[i], result[i])
-		}
+	compileStages(c, "", "checkRuleConflicts")
+
+	expected := []string{
+		"p: conflicting rule types (all definitions of p must have the same type)",
+		"q: conflicting rule types (all definitions of q must have the same type)",
 	}
+
+	assertCompilerErrorStrings(t, c, expected)
 }
 
 func TestCompilerResolveAllRefs(t *testing.T) {
@@ -754,7 +769,7 @@ func TestCompilerGetRulesWithPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	package a.b.c
 	p[1] :- true
 	p[2] :- true
-	q = true
+	q[3] :- true
 	`)
 
 	c := NewCompiler()
@@ -834,6 +849,18 @@ func TestQueryCompiler(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func assertCompilerErrorStrings(t *testing.T, compiler *Compiler, expected []string) {
+	result := compilerErrsToStringSlice(compiler.Errors)
+	if len(result) != len(expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %d:\n%v\nBut got %d:\n%v", len(expected), strings.Join(expected, "\n"), len(result), strings.Join(result, "\n"))
+	}
+	for i := range result {
+		if expected[i] != result[i] {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %v but got: %v", expected[i], result[i])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func assertNotFailed(t *testing.T, c *Compiler) {
 	if c.Failed() {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected compilation error: %v", c.Errors)