diff --git a/FWCore/Utilities/src/TypeWithDict.cc b/FWCore/Utilities/src/TypeWithDict.cc
index 8b09cdcc65f3c..8115d66dd8cf8 100644
--- a/FWCore/Utilities/src/TypeWithDict.cc
+++ b/FWCore/Utilities/src/TypeWithDict.cc
@@ -354,7 +354,24 @@ namespace edm {
   TypeWithDict::typeInfo() const {
     if(*ti_ == typeid(dummyType) || isPointer() || isArray()) {
       // No accurate type_info
-      assert(qualifiedName().c_str() == nullptr);
+      if(qualifiedName().c_str() != nullptr) {
+        std::string category("unknown");
+        if(isPointer()) {
+          category = "a pointer";
+        } else if(isArray()) {
+          category = "an array";
+        } else if(isEnum()) {
+          category = "an enum";
+        } else if(isClass()) {
+          throw Exception(errors::DictionaryNotFound)
+          << "No Dictionary for class: '" << name() << "'" << std::endl;
+        }
+        throw Exception(errors::LogicError)
+          << "Function TypeWithDict::typeInfo: Type\n"
+          << qualifiedName()
+          << "\ndoes not have valid type_info information in ROOT\n"
+          << "because it is " << category << ".\n";
+      }
     }
     return *ti_;
   }
@@ -490,6 +507,8 @@ namespace edm {
          out <<  "::";
       }
       out << enum_->GetName();
+    } else if (*ti_ == typeid(dummyType) && isClass())  {
+      out << class_->GetName();
     } else {
       out << TypeID(*ti_).className();
     }