diff --git a/src/core/ReactPropTransferer.js b/src/core/ReactPropTransferer.js
index 691ed58fc8..db8e675d5b 100644
--- a/src/core/ReactPropTransferer.js
+++ b/src/core/ReactPropTransferer.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 "use strict";
 
 var emptyFunction = require('emptyFunction');
+var invariant = require('invariant');
 var joinClasses = require('joinClasses');
 var merge = require('merge');
 
@@ -90,6 +91,13 @@ var ReactPropTransferer = {
      * @protected
      */
     transferPropsTo: function(component) {
+      invariant(
+        component.props.__owner__ === this,
+        'You can\'t call transferPropsTo() on a component that you don\'t ' +
+        'own. This usually means you are calling transferPropsTo() on a ' +
+        'component passed in as props or children.'
+      );
+
       var props = {};
       for (var thatKey in component.props) {
         if (component.props.hasOwnProperty(thatKey)) {
diff --git a/src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponentTransferProps-test.js b/src/core/__tests__/ReactPropTransferer-test.js
similarity index 83%
rename from src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponentTransferProps-test.js
rename to src/core/__tests__/ReactPropTransferer-test.js
index 70c7e27532..8b75130005 100644
--- a/src/core/__tests__/ReactCompositeComponentTransferProps-test.js
+++ b/src/core/__tests__/ReactPropTransferer-test.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ var reactComponentExpect;
 
 var TestComponent;
 
-describe('ReactCompositeComponent-transferProps', function() {
+describe('ReactPropTransferer', function() {
 
   beforeEach(function() {
     React = require('React');
@@ -130,4 +130,27 @@ describe('ReactCompositeComponent-transferProps', function() {
 
     ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<OuterOuterRefTestComponent />);
   });
+
+  it('should not transferPropsTo() a component you don\'t own', function() {
+    var Parent = React.createClass({
+      render: function() {
+        return <Child><span /></Child>;
+      }
+    });
+
+    var Child = React.createClass({
+      render: function() {
+        return this.transferPropsTo(this.props.children);
+      }
+    });
+
+    expect(function() {
+      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Parent />);
+    }).toThrow(
+      'Invariant Violation: ' +
+      'You can\'t call transferPropsTo() on a component that you don\'t own. ' +
+      'This usually means you are calling transferPropsTo() on a component ' +
+      'passed in as props or children.'
+    );
+  });
 });