diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/DefaultControllerFactory.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/DefaultControllerFactory.cs
index 4da4083e58..926f7accb3 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/DefaultControllerFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/DefaultControllerFactory.cs
@@ -62,6 +62,17 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc
             }
 
             var controllerType = actionDescriptor.ControllerTypeInfo.AsType();
+            var controllerTypeInfo = controllerType.GetTypeInfo();
+            if (controllerTypeInfo.IsValueType ||
+                controllerTypeInfo.IsInterface ||
+                controllerTypeInfo.IsAbstract ||
+                (controllerTypeInfo.IsGenericType && controllerTypeInfo.IsGenericTypeDefinition))
+            {
+                var message = Resources.FormatValueInterfaceAbstractOrOpenGenericTypesCannotBeActivated(
+                    controllerType.FullName, GetType().FullName);
+                throw new InvalidOperationException(message);
+            }
+
             var controller = _controllerActivator.Create(actionContext, controllerType);
             ActivateProperties(controller, actionContext);
 
@@ -87,13 +98,6 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc
         protected virtual void ActivateProperties([NotNull] object controller, [NotNull] ActionContext context)
         {
             var controllerType = controller.GetType();
-            var controllerTypeInfo = controllerType.GetTypeInfo();
-            if (controllerTypeInfo.IsValueType)
-            {
-                var message = Resources.FormatValueTypesCannotBeActivated(GetType().FullName);
-                throw new InvalidOperationException(message);
-            }
-
             var propertiesToActivate = _activateActions.GetOrAdd(controllerType,
                                                                  _getPropertiesToActivate);
 
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
index d6212aa949..7b96a7681b 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs
@@ -1082,22 +1082,6 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core
             return string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, GetString("ActionResult_ActionReturnValueCannotBeNull"), p0);
         }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Value types cannot be activated by '{0}'.
-        /// </summary>
-        internal static string ValueTypesCannotBeActivated
-        {
-            get { return GetString("ValueTypesCannotBeActivated"); }
-        }
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Value types cannot be activated by '{0}'.
-        /// </summary>
-        internal static string FormatValueTypesCannotBeActivated(object p0)
-        {
-            return string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, GetString("ValueTypesCannotBeActivated"), p0);
-        }
-
         /// <summary>
         /// The type '{0}' must derive from '{1}'.
         /// </summary>
@@ -1786,6 +1770,22 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core
             return string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, GetString("TempData_CannotSerializeDictionary"), p0, p1);
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The type '{0}' cannot be activated by '{1}' because it is either a value type, an interface, an abstract class or an open generic type.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static string ValueInterfaceAbstractOrOpenGenericTypesCannotBeActivated
+        {
+            get { return GetString("ValueInterfaceAbstractOrOpenGenericTypesCannotBeActivated"); }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// The type '{0}' cannot be activated by '{1}' because it is either a value type, an interface, an abstract class or an open generic type.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static string FormatValueInterfaceAbstractOrOpenGenericTypesCannotBeActivated(object p0, object p1)
+        {
+            return string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, GetString("ValueInterfaceAbstractOrOpenGenericTypesCannotBeActivated"), p0, p1);
+        }
+
         private static string GetString(string name, params string[] formatterNames)
         {
             var value = _resourceManager.GetString(name);
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Resources.resx b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Resources.resx
index 7db062ae64..ccf380dd34 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Resources.resx
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core/Resources.resx
@@ -319,9 +319,6 @@
   <data name="ActionResult_ActionReturnValueCannotBeNull" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>Cannot return null from an action method with a return type of '{0}'.</value>
   </data>
-  <data name="ValueTypesCannotBeActivated" xml:space="preserve">
-    <value>Value types cannot be activated by '{0}'.</value>
-  </data>
   <data name="TypeMustDeriveFromType" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>The type '{0}' must derive from '{1}'.</value>
   </data>
@@ -460,4 +457,7 @@
   <data name="TempData_CannotSerializeDictionary" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>The '{0}' cannot serialize a dictionary with a key of type '{1}' to session state.</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="ValueInterfaceAbstractOrOpenGenericTypesCannotBeActivated" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>The type '{0}' cannot be activated by '{1}' because it is either a value type, an interface, an abstract class or an open generic type.</value>
+  </data>
 </root>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/DefaultControllerFactoryTest.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/DefaultControllerFactoryTest.cs
index 73f8cbb2b1..373b87cf70 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/DefaultControllerFactoryTest.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core.Test/DefaultControllerFactoryTest.cs
@@ -188,6 +188,33 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core
                         "' cannot be activated.", exception.Message);
         }
 
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(typeof(int))]
+        [InlineData(typeof(OpenGenericType<>))]
+        [InlineData(typeof(AbstractType))]
+        [InlineData(typeof(InterfaceType))]
+        public void CreateController_ThrowsIfControllerCannotBeActivated(Type type)
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var actionDescriptor = new ControllerActionDescriptor
+            {
+                ControllerTypeInfo = type.GetTypeInfo()
+            };
+            var services = GetServices();
+            var httpContext = new DefaultHttpContext
+            {
+                RequestServices = services
+            };
+            var context = new ActionContext(httpContext, new RouteData(), actionDescriptor);
+            var factory = new DefaultControllerFactory(new DefaultControllerActivator(new DefaultTypeActivatorCache()));
+
+            // Act and Assert
+            var exception = Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => factory.CreateController(context));
+            Assert.Equal("The type '" + type.FullName + "' cannot be activated by '" + typeof(DefaultControllerFactory) +
+                "' because it is either a value type, an interface, an abstract class or an open generic type.",
+                exception.Message);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void DefaultControllerFactory_DisposesIDisposableController()
         {
@@ -290,5 +317,20 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Core
         {
 
         }
+
+        private class OpenGenericType<T> : Controller
+        {
+
+        }
+
+        private abstract class AbstractType : Controller
+        {
+
+        }
+
+        private interface InterfaceType
+        {
+
+        }
     }
 }