diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a6f2c6667c..fac9b1e8e5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7188,6 +7188,14 @@ interpolation buffer, one can specify vertex buffers
 (`RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX`) and vertex attribute buffers
 (`RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE`) as well.
 
+The `bufferType` has to be either `RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX` or
+`RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE`, and the `bufferSlot` has to be a
+valid slot of the specified buffer type, thus smaller than the number of
+time steps for vertex buffers and smaller than the vertex attribute
+count set using `rtcSetGeometryVertexAttributeCount` for vertex
+attribute buffers. Otherwise an `RTC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT` error is
+raised and no data is interpolated.
+
 The `rtcInterpolate` call stores `valueCount` number of interpolated
 floating point values to the memory location pointed to by `P`. One can
 avoid storing the interpolated value by setting `P` to `NULL`.
diff --git a/doc/src/api/rtcInterpolate.md b/doc/src/api/rtcInterpolate.md
index 5b581f5c69..e2fee6ebd9 100644
--- a/doc/src/api/rtcInterpolate.md
+++ b/doc/src/api/rtcInterpolate.md
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ interpolation buffer, one can specify vertex buffers
 (`RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX`) and vertex attribute buffers
 (`RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE`) as well.
 
+The `bufferType` has to be either `RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX` or
+`RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE`, and the `bufferSlot` has to be a
+valid slot of the specified buffer type, thus smaller than the number
+of time steps for vertex buffers and smaller than the vertex attribute
+count set using `rtcSetGeometryVertexAttributeCount` for vertex
+attribute buffers. Otherwise an `RTC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT` error is
+raised and no data is interpolated.
+
 The `rtcInterpolate` call stores `valueCount` number of interpolated
 floating point values to the memory location pointed to by `P`. One
 can avoid storing the interpolated value by setting `P` to `NULL`.
diff --git a/kernels/common/geometry.h b/kernels/common/geometry.h
index 3c7ce99564..9d165b9fa5 100644
--- a/kernels/common/geometry.h
+++ b/kernels/common/geometry.h
@@ -401,6 +401,23 @@ namespace embree
       throw_RTCError(RTC_ERROR_INVALID_OPERATION,"operation not supported for this geometry"); 
     }
 
+    /*! validates the buffer type and slot of an interpolation request. The buffer slot
+     *  originates from the public rtcInterpolate/rtcInterpolateN API and is used to index
+     *  fixed size arrays of buffer descriptors, thus it has to be range checked at runtime. */
+    __forceinline void checkInterpolateBuffer(RTCBufferType bufferType, unsigned int bufferSlot, size_t numVertexAttributes) const
+    {
+      if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX) {
+        if (unlikely(bufferSlot >= numTimeSteps))
+          throw_RTCError(RTC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT,"invalid vertex buffer slot specified for interpolation");
+      }
+      else if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
+        if (unlikely(bufferSlot >= numVertexAttributes))
+          throw_RTCError(RTC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT,"invalid vertex attribute buffer slot specified for interpolation");
+      }
+      else
+        throw_RTCError(RTC_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT,"invalid buffer type specified for interpolation");
+    }
+
     /*! interpolates user data to the specified u/v locations */
     virtual void interpolateN(const RTCInterpolateNArguments* const args);
 
diff --git a/kernels/common/scene_curves.h b/kernels/common/scene_curves.h
index 7350a20ecd..c488215164 100644
--- a/kernels/common/scene_curves.h
+++ b/kernels/common/scene_curves.h
@@ -545,8 +545,7 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < numTimeSteps) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot <= vertexAttribs.size()));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr; 
       size_t stride = 0;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
@@ -708,10 +707,11 @@ namespace embree
       float* ddPdudu = args->ddPdudu;
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
+
       /* we interpolate vertex attributes linearly for hermite basis */
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE)
       {
-        assert(bufferSlot <= vertexAttribs.size());
         const char* vsrc = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         const size_t vstride = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].getStride();
         
@@ -732,7 +732,6 @@ namespace embree
       /* interpolation for vertex buffers */
       else
       {
-        assert(bufferSlot < numTimeSteps);
         const char* vsrc = vertices[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         const char* tsrc = tangents[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         const size_t vstride = vertices[bufferSlot].getStride();
diff --git a/kernels/common/scene_grid_mesh.h b/kernels/common/scene_grid_mesh.h
index cd374912f5..e99fa3088f 100644
--- a/kernels/common/scene_grid_mesh.h
+++ b/kernels/common/scene_grid_mesh.h
@@ -86,8 +86,7 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < numTimeSteps) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot <= vertexAttribs.size()));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr; 
       size_t stride = 0;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
diff --git a/kernels/common/scene_line_segments.h b/kernels/common/scene_line_segments.h
index a672abd8d2..b87f78c5b7 100644
--- a/kernels/common/scene_line_segments.h
+++ b/kernels/common/scene_line_segments.h
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < numTimeSteps) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot <= vertexAttribs.size()));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr;
       size_t stride = 0;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
diff --git a/kernels/common/scene_quad_mesh.h b/kernels/common/scene_quad_mesh.h
index 646b08c1ab..cbef6fb9cd 100644
--- a/kernels/common/scene_quad_mesh.h
+++ b/kernels/common/scene_quad_mesh.h
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < numTimeSteps) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot <= vertexAttribs.size()));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr; 
       size_t stride = 0;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
diff --git a/kernels/common/scene_subdiv_mesh.cpp b/kernels/common/scene_subdiv_mesh.cpp
index 4dc2080d36..be94bd9f65 100644
--- a/kernels/common/scene_subdiv_mesh.cpp
+++ b/kernels/common/scene_subdiv_mesh.cpp
@@ -854,21 +854,18 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < RTC_MAX_TIME_STEP_COUNT) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot < RTC_MAX_USER_VERTEX_BUFFERS));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr; 
       size_t stride = 0;
       std::vector<SharedLazyTessellationCache::CacheEntry>* baseEntry = nullptr;
       Topology* topo = nullptr;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
-        assert(bufferSlot < vertexAttribs.size());
         src    = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         stride = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].getStride();
         baseEntry = &vertex_attrib_buffer_tags[bufferSlot];
         int topologyID = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].userData;
         topo = &topology[topologyID];
       } else {
-        assert(bufferSlot < numTimeSteps);
         src    = vertices[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         stride = vertices[bufferSlot].getStride();
         baseEntry = &vertex_buffer_tags[bufferSlot];
@@ -931,21 +928,18 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
     
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < RTC_MAX_TIME_STEP_COUNT) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot < RTC_MAX_USER_VERTEX_BUFFERS));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr; 
       size_t stride = 0;
       std::vector<SharedLazyTessellationCache::CacheEntry>* baseEntry = nullptr;
       Topology* topo = nullptr;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {
-        assert(bufferSlot < vertexAttribs.size());
         src    = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         stride = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].getStride();
         baseEntry = &vertex_attrib_buffer_tags[bufferSlot];
         int topologyID = vertexAttribs[bufferSlot].userData;
         topo = &topology[topologyID];
       } else {
-        assert(bufferSlot < numTimeSteps);
         src    = vertices[bufferSlot].getPtr();
         stride = vertices[bufferSlot].getStride();
         baseEntry = &vertex_buffer_tags[bufferSlot];
diff --git a/kernels/common/scene_triangle_mesh.h b/kernels/common/scene_triangle_mesh.h
index 3f014d85a2..a1e712839c 100644
--- a/kernels/common/scene_triangle_mesh.h
+++ b/kernels/common/scene_triangle_mesh.h
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ namespace embree
       unsigned int valueCount = args->valueCount;
       
       /* calculate base pointer and stride */
-      assert((bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX && bufferSlot < numTimeSteps) ||
-             (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE && bufferSlot <= vertexAttribs.size()));
+      checkInterpolateBuffer(bufferType,bufferSlot,vertexAttribs.size());
       const char* src = nullptr; 
       size_t stride = 0;
       if (bufferType == RTC_BUFFER_TYPE_VERTEX_ATTRIBUTE) {