diff --git a/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/formats/nontagged/AqlBinaryBooleanInspectorImpl.java b/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/formats/nontagged/AqlBinaryBooleanInspectorImpl.java
index 97a0c13..4d85537 100644
--- a/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/formats/nontagged/AqlBinaryBooleanInspectorImpl.java
+++ b/asterix-om/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/formats/nontagged/AqlBinaryBooleanInspectorImpl.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package edu.uci.ics.asterix.formats.nontagged;
 
 import edu.uci.ics.asterix.om.types.ATypeTag;
+import edu.uci.ics.asterix.om.types.EnumDeserializer;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.data.IBinaryBooleanInspector;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.algebricks.data.IBinaryBooleanInspectorFactory;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.context.IHyracksTaskContext;
@@ -24,6 +25,11 @@
     public boolean getBooleanValue(byte[] bytes, int offset, int length) {
         if (bytes[offset] == SER_NULL_TYPE_TAG)
             return false;
+        /** check if the runtime type is boolean */
+        ATypeTag typeTag = EnumDeserializer.ATYPETAGDESERIALIZER.deserialize(bytes[offset]);
+        if (typeTag != ATypeTag.BOOLEAN) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Runtime error: the select condition should be of the boolean type!");
+        }
         return bytes[offset + 1] == 1;
     }