diff --git a/include/xtensor-python/pytensor.hpp b/include/xtensor-python/pytensor.hpp
index b7886f6..3c3b91b 100644
--- a/include/xtensor-python/pytensor.hpp
+++ b/include/xtensor-python/pytensor.hpp
@@ -58,7 +58,14 @@ namespace pybind11
                     }
                 }
 
-                value = type::ensure(src);
+                try
+                {
+                    value = type::ensure(src);
+                }
+                catch (const std::runtime_error&)
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
                 return static_cast<bool>(value);
             }
 
diff --git a/test_python/main.cpp b/test_python/main.cpp
index 4b3343a..2f4a0df 100644
--- a/test_python/main.cpp
+++ b/test_python/main.cpp
@@ -253,4 +253,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(xtensor_python_test, m)
 
     m.def("simple_array", [](xt::pyarray<int>) { return 1; } );
     m.def("simple_tensor", [](xt::pytensor<int, 1>) { return 2; } );
+
+    m.def("diff_shape_overload", [](xt::pytensor<int, 1> a) { return 1; });
+    m.def("diff_shape_overload", [](xt::pytensor<int, 2> a) { return 2; });
 }
diff --git a/test_python/test_pyarray.py b/test_python/test_pyarray.py
index e70a2fa..3d8f0af 100644
--- a/test_python/test_pyarray.py
+++ b/test_python/test_pyarray.py
@@ -135,13 +135,13 @@ def test_col_row_major(self):
         with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
             xt.col_major_array(var)
 
-        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             xt.row_major_tensor(var.T)
 
-        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             xt.row_major_tensor(var[:, ::2, ::2])
 
-        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             # raise for wrong dimension
             xt.row_major_tensor(var[0, 0, :])
 
@@ -157,6 +157,15 @@ def test_bad_argument_call(self):
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             xt.simple_tensor("foo")
 
+    def test_diff_shape_overload(self):
+        self.assertEqual(1, xt.diff_shape_overload(np.ones(2)))
+        self.assertEqual(2, xt.diff_shape_overload(np.ones((2, 2))))
+
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            # FIXME: the TypeError information is not informative
+            xt.diff_shape_overload(np.ones((2, 2, 2)))
+
+
 class AttributeTest(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):