diff --git a/packages/flow-runtime/src/TypeContext.js b/packages/flow-runtime/src/TypeContext.js
index 443ce3ba..96e1b2ab 100644
--- a/packages/flow-runtime/src/TypeContext.js
+++ b/packages/flow-runtime/src/TypeContext.js
@@ -1027,10 +1027,16 @@ export default class TypeContext {
   }
 
   warn <T, V: T | any> (type: Type<T>, input: V, prefix: string = '', path?: string[]): V {
-    const validation = this.validate(type, input, prefix, path);
-    const message = makeWarningMessage(validation);
-    if (typeof message === 'string') {
-      this.emitWarningMessage(message);
+    try {
+      const validation = this.validate(type, input, prefix, path);
+      const message = makeWarningMessage(validation);
+      if (typeof message === 'string') {
+        this.emitWarningMessage(message);
+      }
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+      const message = error && error.message ? error.message : String(error);
+      this.emitWarningMessage(`Warning: ${message}`);
     }
     return input;
   }
diff --git a/packages/flow-runtime/src/typed.test.js b/packages/flow-runtime/src/typed.test.js
index d2eb3380..13c7ad6f 100644
--- a/packages/flow-runtime/src/typed.test.js
+++ b/packages/flow-runtime/src/typed.test.js
@@ -457,6 +457,19 @@ describe('Typed API', () => {
 
   });
 
+  it('should warn instead of throwing when validation throws', () => {
+    const context = t.createContext();
+    const type = context.$shape(context.string());
+    let warning;
+    const input = {};
+    context.emitWarningMessage = (message) => {
+      warning = message;
+    };
+
+    equal(context.warn(type, input), input);
+    ok(warning.indexOf('Can only $Shape<T> object types.') !== -1);
+  });
+
   it('should $Keys<A>', () => {
     const A = t.object(
       t.property('name', t.string()),
@@ -558,4 +571,4 @@ describe('Typed API', () => {
       ))
     );
   });
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});