diff --git a/mlx/ops.cpp b/mlx/ops.cpp
index c2aa4786f..61b1130b5 100644
--- a/mlx/ops.cpp
+++ b/mlx/ops.cpp
@@ -4924,10 +4924,25 @@ array operator^(const array& a, const array& b) {
 }
 
 array left_shift(const array& a, const array& b, StreamOrDevice s /* = {} */) {
+  if (!(issubdtype(a.dtype(), integer) || a.dtype() == bool_)) {
+    std::ostringstream msg;
+    msg << "[left_shift] First argument must be integer or boolean type "
+        << "but got type " << a.dtype() << ".";
+    throw std::runtime_error(msg.str());
+  }
+
+  if (!(issubdtype(b.dtype(), integer) || b.dtype() == bool_)) {
+    std::ostringstream msg;
+    msg << "[left_shift] Second argument must be integer or boolean type "
+        << "but got type " << b.dtype() << ".";
+    throw std::runtime_error(msg.str());
+  }
+
   auto t = result_type(a, b);
   if (t == bool_) {
     t = uint8;
   }
+  
   return bitwise_impl(
       astype(a, t, s),
       astype(b, t, s),
@@ -4940,10 +4955,25 @@ array operator<<(const array& a, const array& b) {
 }
 
 array right_shift(const array& a, const array& b, StreamOrDevice s /* = {} */) {
+  if (!(issubdtype(a.dtype(), integer) || a.dtype() == bool_)) {
+    std::ostringstream msg;
+    msg << "[right_shift] First argument must be integer or boolean type "
+        << "but got type " << a.dtype() << ".";
+    throw std::runtime_error(msg.str());
+  }
+
+  if (!(issubdtype(b.dtype(), integer) || b.dtype() == bool_)) {
+    std::ostringstream msg;
+    msg << "[right_shift] Second argument must be integer or boolean type "
+        << "but got type " << b.dtype() << ".";
+    throw std::runtime_error(msg.str());
+  }
+
   auto t = result_type(a, b);
   if (t == bool_) {
     t = uint8;
   }
+  
   return bitwise_impl(
       astype(a, t, s),
       astype(b, t, s),