diff --git a/packages/@ember/runloop/index.js b/packages/@ember/runloop/index.js
index fdca2d426ca..52a2f35b035 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/runloop/index.js
+++ b/packages/@ember/runloop/index.js
@@ -217,7 +217,39 @@ export function join() {
   @since 1.4.0
   @public
 */
-export const bind = (...curried) => (...args) => join(...curried.concat(args));
+export const bind = (...curried) => {
+  if (!bindMethodPresent(...curried)) {
+    throw new Error('could not find a suitable method to bind');
+  }
+  return (...args) => join(...curried.concat(args));
+};
+
+/**
+  Applies the same logic as backburner parseArgs for detecting if a method
+  is actually being passed.
+
+  @method bindMethodPresent
+  @private
+  @param {Object|Function} methodOrTarget Same as first argument for backburner.join
+  @param {Function|string} methodOrArg Same as second argument for backburner.join
+  @return {Boolean} whether there is a method present or not
+ */
+function bindMethodPresent(methodOrTarget, methodOrArg) {
+  let length = arguments.length;
+
+  if (length === 0) {
+    return false;
+  } else if (length === 1) {
+    return typeof methodOrTarget === 'function';
+  } else {
+    let type = typeof methodOrArg;
+    return (
+      type === 'function' || // second argument is a function
+      (methodOrTarget !== null && type === 'string' && methodOrArg in methodOrTarget) || // second argument is the name of a method in first argument
+      typeof methodOrTarget === 'function' //first argument is a function
+    );
+  }
+}
 
 /**
   Begins a new RunLoop. Any deferred actions invoked after the begin will
diff --git a/packages/@ember/runloop/tests/run_bind_test.js b/packages/@ember/runloop/tests/run_bind_test.js
index bd04427a6c4..82c112a0203 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/runloop/tests/run_bind_test.js
+++ b/packages/@ember/runloop/tests/run_bind_test.js
@@ -36,5 +36,24 @@ moduleFor(
 
       asyncFunction(bind(asyncCallback, asyncCallback, 1));
     }
+
+    ['@test bind throws an error if callback is undefined'](assert) {
+      let assertBindThrows = (msg, ...args) => {
+        assert.throws(
+          function() {
+            bind(...args);
+          },
+          /could not find a suitable method to bind/,
+          msg
+        );
+      };
+      assertBindThrows('without arguments');
+      assertBindThrows('with one arguments that is not a function', 'myMethod');
+      assertBindThrows(
+        'if second parameter is not a function and not a property in first parameter',
+        Object.create(null),
+        'myMethod'
+      );
+    }
   }
 );