diff --git a/numpy/core/overrides.py b/numpy/core/overrides.py
index 17e3d475f86e..906292613b2f 100644
--- a/numpy/core/overrides.py
+++ b/numpy/core/overrides.py
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 
 TODO: rewrite this in C for performance.
 """
+import collections
 import functools
+
 from numpy.core.multiarray import ndarray
+from numpy.compat._inspect import getargspec
 
 
 _NDARRAY_ARRAY_FUNCTION = ndarray.__array_function__
@@ -107,13 +110,45 @@ def array_function_implementation_or_override(
                     .format(public_api, list(map(type, overloaded_args))))
 
 
-def array_function_dispatch(dispatcher):
+ArgSpec = collections.namedtuple('ArgSpec', 'args varargs keywords defaults')
+
+
+def verify_matching_signatures(implementation, dispatcher):
+    """Verify that a dispatcher function has the right signature."""
+    implementation_spec = ArgSpec(*getargspec(implementation))
+    dispatcher_spec = ArgSpec(*getargspec(dispatcher))
+
+    if (implementation_spec.args != dispatcher_spec.args or
+            implementation_spec.varargs != dispatcher_spec.varargs or
+            implementation_spec.keywords != dispatcher_spec.keywords or
+            (bool(implementation_spec.defaults) !=
+             bool(dispatcher_spec.defaults)) or
+            (implementation_spec.defaults is not None and
+             len(implementation_spec.defaults) !=
+             len(dispatcher_spec.defaults))):
+        raise RuntimeError('implementation and dispatcher for %s have '
+                           'different function signatures' % implementation)
+
+    if implementation_spec.defaults is not None:
+        if dispatcher_spec.defaults != (None,) * len(dispatcher_spec.defaults):
+            raise RuntimeError('dispatcher functions can only use None for '
+                               'default argument values')
+
+
+def array_function_dispatch(dispatcher, verify=True):
     """Decorator for adding dispatch with the __array_function__ protocol."""
     def decorator(implementation):
+        # TODO: only do this check when the appropriate flag is enabled or for
+        # a dev install. We want this check for testing but don't want to
+        # slow down all numpy imports.
+        if verify:
+            verify_matching_signatures(implementation, dispatcher)
+
         @functools.wraps(implementation)
         def public_api(*args, **kwargs):
             relevant_args = dispatcher(*args, **kwargs)
             return array_function_implementation_or_override(
                 implementation, public_api, relevant_args, args, kwargs)
         return public_api
+
     return decorator
diff --git a/numpy/core/tests/test_overrides.py b/numpy/core/tests/test_overrides.py
index 7f6157a5bf09..895f221daf0b 100644
--- a/numpy/core/tests/test_overrides.py
+++ b/numpy/core/tests/test_overrides.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 from numpy.testing import (
     assert_, assert_equal, assert_raises, assert_raises_regex)
 from numpy.core.overrides import (
-    get_overloaded_types_and_args, array_function_dispatch)
+    get_overloaded_types_and_args, array_function_dispatch,
+    verify_matching_signatures)
 
 
 def _get_overloaded_args(relevant_args):
@@ -200,6 +201,36 @@ def __array_function__(self, func, types, args, kwargs):
             dispatched_one_arg(array)
 
 
+class TestVerifyMatchingSignatures(object):
+
+    def test_verify_matching_signatures(self):
+
+        verify_matching_signatures(lambda x: 0, lambda x: 0)
+        verify_matching_signatures(lambda x=None: 0, lambda x=None: 0)
+        verify_matching_signatures(lambda x=1: 0, lambda x=None: 0)
+
+        with assert_raises(RuntimeError):
+            verify_matching_signatures(lambda a: 0, lambda b: 0)
+        with assert_raises(RuntimeError):
+            verify_matching_signatures(lambda x: 0, lambda x=None: 0)
+        with assert_raises(RuntimeError):
+            verify_matching_signatures(lambda x=None: 0, lambda y=None: 0)
+        with assert_raises(RuntimeError):
+            verify_matching_signatures(lambda x=1: 0, lambda y=1: 0)
+
+    def test_array_function_dispatch(self):
+
+        with assert_raises(RuntimeError):
+            @array_function_dispatch(lambda x: (x,))
+            def f(y):
+                pass
+
+        # should not raise
+        @array_function_dispatch(lambda x: (x,), verify=False)
+        def f(y):
+            pass
+
+
 def _new_duck_type_and_implements():
     """Create a duck array type and implements functions."""
     HANDLED_FUNCTIONS = {}