diff --git a/loopy/statistics.py b/loopy/statistics.py
index a56be22a37d638b5af5f290e90f7ec9f899f94d7..4dac09c0d1a2d88de94e0886488f26771add2dda 100755
--- a/loopy/statistics.py
+++ b/loopy/statistics.py
@@ -487,7 +487,13 @@ class Op(Record):
 
     """
 
+    count_granularity_options = ["workitem", "subgroup", "group", None]
+
     def __init__(self, dtype=None, name=None, count_granularity=None):
+        if not count_granularity in self.count_granularity_options:
+            raise ValueError("Op.__init__: count_granularity '%s' is"
+                    "not allowed. count_granularity options: %s"
+                    % (count_granularity, self.count_granularity_options))
         if dtype is None:
             Record.__init__(self, dtype=dtype, name=name,
                             count_granularity=count_granularity)
@@ -542,6 +548,8 @@ class MemAccess(Record):
 
     """
 
+    count_granularity_options = ["workitem", "subgroup", "group", None]
+
     def __init__(self, mtype=None, dtype=None, stride=None, direction=None,
                  variable=None, count_granularity=None):
 
@@ -555,6 +563,11 @@ class MemAccess(Record):
             raise NotImplementedError("MemAccess: variable must be None when "
                                       "mtype is 'local'")
 
+        if not count_granularity in self.count_granularity_options:
+            raise ValueError("Op.__init__: count_granularity '%s' is"
+                    "not allowed. count_granularity options: %s"
+                    % (count_granularity, self.count_granularity_options))
+
         if dtype is None:
             Record.__init__(self, mtype=mtype, dtype=dtype, stride=stride,
                             direction=direction, variable=variable,
@@ -1371,9 +1384,10 @@ def get_mem_access_map(knl, numpy_types=True, count_redundant_work=False,
                 group_workitems *= s
             return ct/group_workitems
         else:
+            # this should not happen since this is enforced in MemAccess
             raise ValueError("get_insn_count: count_granularity '%s' is"
-                    "not allowed. count_granularity must be 'group', "
-                    "'subgroup', or 'workitem'." % (count_granularity))
+                    "not allowed. count_granularity options: %s"
+                    % (count_granularity, MemAccess.count_granularity_options))
 
     knl = infer_unknown_types(knl, expect_completion=True)
     knl = preprocess_kernel(knl)
diff --git a/test/test_statistics.py b/test/test_statistics.py
index f8735553fc2e6f54717d3abd37871935e1ec4214..82f9f088682c3dc12cfa4b43380311c3bfe44519 100644
--- a/test/test_statistics.py
+++ b/test/test_statistics.py
@@ -672,6 +672,31 @@ def test_mem_access_counter_consec():
     assert f32consec == n*m*ell
 
 
+def test_count_granularity_val_checks():
+
+    try:
+        lp.MemAccess(count_granularity='workitem')
+        lp.MemAccess(count_granularity='subgroup')
+        lp.MemAccess(count_granularity='group')
+        lp.MemAccess(count_granularity=None)
+        assert True
+        lp.MemAccess(count_granularity='bushel')
+        assert False
+    except ValueError:
+        assert True
+
+    try:
+        lp.Op(count_granularity='workitem')
+        lp.Op(count_granularity='subgroup')
+        lp.Op(count_granularity='group')
+        lp.Op(count_granularity=None)
+        assert True
+        lp.Op(count_granularity='bushel')
+        assert False
+    except ValueError:
+        assert True
+
+
 def test_barrier_counter_nobarriers():
 
     knl = lp.make_kernel(