diff --git a/tokio/src/sync/semaphore.rs b/tokio/src/sync/semaphore.rs
index 8cccfab1b8e..317f8c39b8a 100644
--- a/tokio/src/sync/semaphore.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/sync/semaphore.rs
@@ -626,6 +626,10 @@ impl<'a> SemaphorePermit<'a> {
     ///
     /// Permits held by both `self` and `other` are released when `self` drops.
     pub fn merge(&mut self, mut other: Self) {
+        assert!(
+            std::ptr::eq(self.sem, other.sem),
+            "merging permits from different semaphore instances"
+        );
         self.permits += other.permits;
         other.permits = 0;
     }
@@ -644,6 +648,10 @@ impl OwnedSemaphorePermit {
     ///
     /// Permits held by both `self` and `other` are released when `self` drops.
     pub fn merge(&mut self, mut other: Self) {
+        assert!(
+            Arc::ptr_eq(&self.sem, &other.sem),
+            "merging permits from different semaphore instances"
+        );
         self.permits += other.permits;
         other.permits = 0;
     }
diff --git a/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore.rs b/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore.rs
index 508d83fbde4..dfd2abaa218 100644
--- a/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore.rs
+++ b/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore.rs
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ fn merge() {
     assert_eq!(sem.available_permits(), 3);
 }
 
+#[test]
+#[should_panic]
+fn merge_unrelated_permits() {
+    let sem1 = Arc::new(Semaphore::new(3));
+    let sem2 = Arc::new(Semaphore::new(3));
+    let mut p1 = sem1.try_acquire().unwrap();
+    let p2 = sem2.try_acquire().unwrap();
+    p1.merge(p2);
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 #[cfg(feature = "full")]
 async fn stress_test() {
diff --git a/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore_owned.rs b/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore_owned.rs
index 9c828ace3e1..0aa614e4d95 100644
--- a/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore_owned.rs
+++ b/tokio/tests/sync_semaphore_owned.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,16 @@ fn merge() {
     assert_eq!(sem.available_permits(), 3);
 }
 
+#[test]
+#[should_panic]
+fn merge_unrelated_permits() {
+    let sem1 = Arc::new(Semaphore::new(3));
+    let sem2 = Arc::new(Semaphore::new(3));
+    let mut p1 = sem1.clone().try_acquire_owned().unwrap();
+    let p2 = sem2.clone().try_acquire_owned().unwrap();
+    p1.merge(p2)
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 #[cfg(feature = "full")]
 async fn stress_test() {