diff --git a/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationErrors.java b/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationErrors.java
index 1b0fd05a8bc..1127ed7811a 100644
--- a/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationErrors.java
+++ b/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationErrors.java
@@ -16,13 +16,16 @@ import static org.jetbrains.kotlin.diagnostics.Severity.ERROR;
 import static org.jetbrains.kotlin.diagnostics.Severity.WARNING;
 
 public interface SerializationErrors {
-    DiagnosticFactory0<KtAnnotationEntry> SERIALIZABLE_ANNOTATION_IGNORED = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
     DiagnosticFactory0<PsiElement> INLINE_CLASSES_NOT_SUPPORTED = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
+
+    DiagnosticFactory0<KtAnnotationEntry> SERIALIZABLE_ANNOTATION_IGNORED = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
+    DiagnosticFactory0<KtAnnotationEntry> NON_SERIALIZABLE_PARENT_MUST_HAVE_NOARG_CTOR = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
     DiagnosticFactory0<KtAnnotationEntry> PRIMARY_CONSTRUCTOR_PARAMETER_IS_NOT_A_PROPERTY = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
     DiagnosticFactory1<KtAnnotationEntry, String> DUPLICATE_SERIAL_NAME = DiagnosticFactory1.create(ERROR);
     DiagnosticFactory0<PsiElement> SERIALIZER_NOT_FOUND = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
     DiagnosticFactory1<PsiElement, KotlinType> SERIALIZER_NULLABILITY_INCOMPATIBLE = DiagnosticFactory1.create(ERROR);
     DiagnosticFactory0<PsiElement> TRANSIENT_MISSING_INITIALIZER = DiagnosticFactory0.create(ERROR);
+
     DiagnosticFactory0<PsiElement> TRANSIENT_IS_REDUNDANT = DiagnosticFactory0.create(WARNING);
 
     @SuppressWarnings("UnusedDeclaration")
diff --git a/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginDeclarationChecker.kt b/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginDeclarationChecker.kt
index 77f0da7b9ae..7567c8ac3d5 100644
--- a/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginDeclarationChecker.kt
+++ b/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginDeclarationChecker.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.psi.*
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.BindingTrace
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.checkers.DeclarationChecker
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.checkers.DeclarationCheckerContext
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.descriptorUtil.getSuperClassOrAny
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.hasBackingField
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.isInlineClassType
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.KotlinType
@@ -52,6 +53,12 @@ class SerializationPluginDeclarationChecker : DeclarationChecker {
         if (!descriptor.isInternalSerializable && !descriptor.hasCompanionObjectAsSerializer) {
             trace.reportOnSerializableAnnotation(descriptor, SerializationErrors.SERIALIZABLE_ANNOTATION_IGNORED)
         }
+
+        // check that we can instantiate supertype
+        val superClass = descriptor.getSuperClassOrAny()
+        if (!superClass.isInternalSerializable && superClass.constructors.singleOrNull { it.valueParameters.size == 0 } == null) {
+            trace.reportOnSerializableAnnotation(descriptor, SerializationErrors.NON_SERIALIZABLE_PARENT_MUST_HAVE_NOARG_CTOR)
+        }
     }
 
     private fun buildSerializableProperties(descriptor: ClassDescriptor, trace: BindingTrace): SerializableProperties? {
diff --git a/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginErrorsRendering.kt b/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginErrorsRendering.kt
index 32a9a526124..db299fd62a2 100644
--- a/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginErrorsRendering.kt
+++ b/plugins/kotlin-serialization/kotlin-serialization-compiler/src/org/jetbrains/kotlinx/serialization/compiler/diagnostic/SerializationPluginErrorsRendering.kt
@@ -14,18 +14,26 @@ object SerializationPluginErrorsRendering : DefaultErrorMessages.Extension {
     override fun getMap() = MAP
 
     init {
+        MAP.put(
+            SerializationErrors.INLINE_CLASSES_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+            "Inline classes are not supported by serialization framework yet."
+        )
         MAP.put(
             SerializationErrors.SERIALIZABLE_ANNOTATION_IGNORED,
             "@Serializable annotation would be ignored because it is impossible to serialize automatically interfaces or enums. " +
                     "Provide serializer manually via e.g. companion object"
         )
+        MAP.put(
+            SerializationErrors.NON_SERIALIZABLE_PARENT_MUST_HAVE_NOARG_CTOR,
+            "Impossible to make this class serializable because its parent is not serializable and does not have exactly one constructor without arguments"
+        )
         MAP.put(
             SerializationErrors.PRIMARY_CONSTRUCTOR_PARAMETER_IS_NOT_A_PROPERTY,
             "This class is not serializable automatically because it has primary constructor parameters which are not properties."
         )
         MAP.put(
             SerializationErrors.DUPLICATE_SERIAL_NAME,
-            "Serializable class has duplicate serial name of property ''{0}'', either in it or its parents.",
+            "Serializable class has duplicate serial name of property ''{0}'', either in it or its supertypes.",
             Renderers.STRING
         )
         MAP.put(
@@ -35,7 +43,7 @@ object SerializationPluginErrorsRendering : DefaultErrorMessages.Extension {
         )
         MAP.put(
             SerializationErrors.SERIALIZER_NULLABILITY_INCOMPATIBLE,
-            "This type is not-nullable and therefore can not be serialized with serializer for nullable type ''{0}''",
+            "This type is non-nullable and therefore can not be serialized with serializer for nullable type ''{0}''",
             Renderers.RENDER_TYPE
         )
         MAP.put(
@@ -46,9 +54,5 @@ object SerializationPluginErrorsRendering : DefaultErrorMessages.Extension {
             SerializationErrors.TRANSIENT_IS_REDUNDANT,
             "This property does not have backing field which makes it non-serializable and therefore @Transient is redundant"
         )
-        MAP.put(
-            SerializationErrors.INLINE_CLASSES_NOT_SUPPORTED,
-            "Inline classes are not supported by serialization framework yet."
-        )
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file