diff --git a/src/fastcs/backend.py b/src/fastcs/backend.py
index cc2bf8c5f..3e1d32cd0 100644
--- a/src/fastcs/backend.py
+++ b/src/fastcs/backend.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from .controller import BaseController, Controller
 from .controller_api import ControllerAPI
 from .exceptions import FastCSException
+from .util import validate_hinted_attributes
 
 
 class Backend:
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ def __init__(
         # Initialise controller and then build its APIs
         loop.run_until_complete(controller.initialise())
         loop.run_until_complete(controller.attribute_initialise())
+        validate_hinted_attributes(controller)
         self.controller_api = build_controller_api(controller)
         self._link_process_tasks()
 
diff --git a/src/fastcs/util.py b/src/fastcs/util.py
index e4f526a49..af7289722 100644
--- a/src/fastcs/util.py
+++ b/src/fastcs/util.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import re
+from typing import _GenericAlias, get_args, get_origin, get_type_hints  # type: ignore
 
 import numpy as np
 
+from fastcs.attributes import Attribute
+from fastcs.controller import BaseController
 from fastcs.datatypes import Bool, DataType, Float, Int, String
 
 
@@ -26,3 +29,35 @@ def numpy_to_fastcs_datatype(np_type) -> DataType:
         return Bool()
     else:
         return String()
+
+
+def validate_hinted_attributes(controller: BaseController):
+    """Validates that type-hinted attributes exist in the controller, and are accessible
+    via the dot accessor, from the attributes dictionary and with the right datatype.
+    """
+    hints = get_type_hints(type(controller))
+    alias_hints = {k: v for k, v in hints.items() if isinstance(v, _GenericAlias)}
+    for name, hint in alias_hints.items():
+        attr_class = get_origin(hint)
+        if not issubclass(attr_class, Attribute):
+            continue
+        attr = getattr(controller, name, None)
+        if attr is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Controller `{controller.__class__.__name__}` failed to introspect "
+                f"hinted attribute `{name}` during initialisation"
+            )
+        if type(attr) is not attr_class:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Controller '{controller.__class__.__name__}' introspection of hinted "
+                f"attribute '{name}' does not match defined access mode. "
+                f"Expected '{attr_class.__name__}', got '{type(attr).__name__}'."
+            )
+        (attr_dtype,) = get_args(hint)
+        if attr.datatype.dtype != attr_dtype:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Controller '{controller.__class__.__name__}' introspection of hinted "
+                f"attribute '{name}' does not match defined datatype. "
+                f"Expected '{attr_dtype.__name__}', "
+                f"got '{attr.datatype.dtype.__name__}'."
+            )
diff --git a/tests/test_util.py b/tests/test_util.py
index f6cb87b3c..fd44fee7f 100644
--- a/tests/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/test_util.py
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+import asyncio
+import enum
+
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 from pvi.device import SignalR
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 
-from fastcs.datatypes import Bool, Float, Int, String
+from fastcs.attributes import AttrR, AttrRW
+from fastcs.backend import Backend
+from fastcs.controller import Controller
+from fastcs.datatypes import Bool, Enum, Float, Int, String
 from fastcs.util import numpy_to_fastcs_datatype, snake_to_pascal
 
 
@@ -56,3 +62,65 @@ def test_pvi_validation_error():
 )
 def test_numpy_to_fastcs_datatype(numpy_type, fastcs_datatype):
     assert fastcs_datatype == numpy_to_fastcs_datatype(numpy_type)
+
+
+def test_hinted_attributes_verified():
+    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+
+    class ControllerWithWrongType(Controller):
+        hinted_wrong_type: AttrR[int]
+
+        async def initialise(self):
+            self.hinted_wrong_type = AttrR(Float())  # type: ignore
+            self.attributes["hinted_wrong_type"] = self.hinted_wrong_type
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        Backend(ControllerWithWrongType(), loop)
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == (
+        "Controller 'ControllerWithWrongType' introspection of hinted attribute "
+        "'hinted_wrong_type' does not match defined datatype. "
+        "Expected 'int', got 'float'."
+    )
+
+    class ControllerWithMissingAttr(Controller):
+        hinted_int_missing: AttrR[int]
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        Backend(ControllerWithMissingAttr(), loop)
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == (
+        "Controller `ControllerWithMissingAttr` failed to introspect hinted attribute "
+        "`hinted_int_missing` during initialisation"
+    )
+
+    class ControllerAttrWrongAccessMode(Controller):
+        hinted: AttrR[int]
+
+        async def initialise(self):
+            self.hinted = AttrRW(Int())
+            self.attributes["hinted"] = self.hinted
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        Backend(ControllerAttrWrongAccessMode(), loop)
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == (
+        "Controller 'ControllerAttrWrongAccessMode' introspection of hinted attribute "
+        "'hinted' does not match defined access mode. Expected 'AttrR', got 'AttrRW'."
+    )
+
+    class MyEnum(enum.Enum):
+        A = 0
+        B = 1
+
+    class MyEnum2(enum.Enum):
+        A = 2
+        B = 3
+
+    class ControllerWrongEnumClass(Controller):
+        hinted_enum: AttrRW[MyEnum] = AttrRW(Enum(MyEnum2))
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as excinfo:
+        Backend(ControllerWrongEnumClass(), loop)
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == (
+        "Controller 'ControllerWrongEnumClass' introspection of hinted attribute "
+        "'hinted_enum' does not match defined datatype. "
+        "Expected 'MyEnum', got 'MyEnum2'."
+    )