diff --git a/src/kernel/inductive/inductive.cpp b/src/kernel/inductive/inductive.cpp
index 167b28bda..1e474c7af 100644
--- a/src/kernel/inductive/inductive.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/inductive/inductive.cpp
@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@ Released under Apache 2.0 license as described in the file LICENSE.
 
 Author: Leonardo de Moura
 */
+#include "util/name_generator.h"
 #include "kernel/type_checker.h"
+#include "kernel/kernel_exception.h"
+#include "kernel/instantiate.h"
 #include "kernel/inductive/inductive.h"
 
 namespace lean {
 namespace inductive {
+static name g_tmp_prefix = name::mk_internal_unique_name();
+
 environment add_inductive(environment const & env, name const & ind_name, level_param_names const & level_params,
                           unsigned num_params, expr const & type, list<intro_rule> const & intro_rules) {
     return add_inductive(env, level_params, num_params, list<inductive_decl>(inductive_decl(ind_name, type, intro_rules)));
@@ -32,9 +37,50 @@ environment add_inductive(environment                  env,
             std::cout << "  " << intro_rule_name(ir) << " : " << intro_rule_type(ir) << "\n";
         }
     }
+    if (is_nil(decls))
+        throw kernel_exception(env, "at least one inductive datatype declaration expected");
+
+    type_checker  tc(env);
+    bool first = true;
+    buffer<expr>  param_types;
+    buffer<expr>  local_consts;
+    buffer<level> Ilevels; // level of each inductive datatype
+    name_generator ngen(g_tmp_prefix);
+
+    // Check if the type of datatypes is well typed
+    for (auto d : decls) {
+        expr t = tc.whnf(inductive_decl_type(d));
+        tc.check(t, level_params);
+        unsigned i  = 0;
+        while (is_pi(t)) {
+            if (i < num_params) {
+                if (first) {
+                    param_types.push_back(binding_domain(t));
+                    expr l = mk_local(ngen.next(), binding_name(t), binding_domain(t));
+                    local_consts.push_back(l);
+                    t = instantiate(binding_body(t), l);
+                } else {
+                    if (!tc.is_def_eq(binding_domain(t), param_types[i]))
+                        throw kernel_exception(env, "parameters of all inductive datatypes must match");
+                    t = instantiate(binding_body(t), local_consts[i]);
+                }
+                i++;
+            } else {
+                t = binding_body(t);
+            }
+            t = tc.whnf(t);
+        }
+        first = false;
+        if (i != num_params)
+            throw kernel_exception(env, "number of parameters mismatch in inductive datatype declaration");
+        t = tc.ensure_sort(t);
+        Ilevels.push_back(sort_level(t));
+    }
+
     // Add all datatype declarations to environment
-    for (auto d : decls)
+    for (auto d : decls) {
         env = env.add(check(env, mk_var_decl(inductive_decl_name(d), level_params, inductive_decl_type(d))));
+    }
     // Add all introduction rules (aka constructors) to environment
     for (auto d : decls) {
         for (auto ir : inductive_decl_intros(d))