diff --git a/compiler/rustc_error_messages/locales/en-US/session.ftl b/compiler/rustc_error_messages/locales/en-US/session.ftl
index 5984c201af0..fe553edab42 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_error_messages/locales/en-US/session.ftl
+++ b/compiler/rustc_error_messages/locales/en-US/session.ftl
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ session_profile_sample_use_file_does_not_exist = file `{$path}` passed to `-C pr
 
 session_target_requires_unwind_tables = target requires unwind tables, they cannot be disabled with `-C force-unwind-tables=no`
 
+session_instrumentation_not_supported = {$us} instrumentation is not supported for this target
+
 session_sanitizer_not_supported = {$us} sanitizer is not supported for this target
 
 session_sanitizers_not_supported = {$us} sanitizers are not supported for this target
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/errors.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/errors.rs
index 8e8fba5e236..c851145440b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/errors.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/errors.rs
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ pub struct ProfileSampleUseFileDoesNotExist<'a> {
 #[diag(session_target_requires_unwind_tables)]
 pub struct TargetRequiresUnwindTables;
 
+#[derive(Diagnostic)]
+#[diag(session_instrumentation_not_supported)]
+pub struct InstrumentationNotSupported {
+    pub us: String,
+}
+
 #[derive(Diagnostic)]
 #[diag(session_sanitizer_not_supported)]
 pub struct SanitizerNotSupported {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs b/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
index 8a0176f6391..fe6ac80fde6 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_session/src/session.rs
@@ -1589,6 +1589,10 @@ fn validate_commandline_args_with_session_available(sess: &Session) {
     {
         sess.emit_err(errors::SplitDebugInfoUnstablePlatform { debuginfo: sess.split_debuginfo() });
     }
+
+    if sess.opts.unstable_opts.instrument_xray.is_some() && !sess.target.options.supports_xray {
+        sess.emit_err(errors::InstrumentationNotSupported { us: "XRay".to_string() });
+    }
 }
 
 /// Holds data on the current incremental compilation session, if there is one.
diff --git a/tests/ui/instrument-xray/target-not-supported.rs b/tests/ui/instrument-xray/target-not-supported.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e6bdd23e8fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/instrument-xray/target-not-supported.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// Verifies that `-Z instrument-xray` cannot be used with unsupported targets,
+//
+// needs-llvm-components: x86
+// compile-flags: -Z instrument-xray --target x86_64-apple-darwin
+// error-pattern: error: XRay instrumentation is not supported for this target
+
+#![feature(no_core)]
+#![no_core]
+#![no_main]
diff --git a/tests/ui/instrument-xray/target-not-supported.stderr b/tests/ui/instrument-xray/target-not-supported.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e3b0c8a380
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/instrument-xray/target-not-supported.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+error: XRay instrumentation is not supported for this target
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+