diff --git a/src/__tests__/paste.js b/src/__tests__/paste.js
index e1665727..7427c165 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/paste.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/paste.js
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ test('should replace selected text all at once', () => {
 
 test('should give error if we are trying to call paste on an invalid element', () => {
   const {element} = setup('<div  />')
-  expect(() =>
-    userEvent.paste(element, "I'm only a div :("),
-  ).toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(
-    `"the current element is of type DIV and doesn't have a valid value"`,
-  )
+  expect(() => userEvent.paste(element, "I'm only a div :("))
+    .toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`
+    "The given DIV element is currently unsupported.
+          A PR extending this implementation would be very much welcome at https://github.com/testing-library/user-event"
+  `)
 })
diff --git a/src/__tests__/upload.js b/src/__tests__/upload.js
index 39cea8ca..f57c116b 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/upload.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/upload.js
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@ test.each([
       new File(['there'], 'there.jpg', {type: 'video/mp4'}),
     ]
     const {element} = setup(`
-    <input 
-      type="file" 
-      accept="${acceptAttribute}" multiple 
+    <input
+      type="file"
+      accept="${acceptAttribute}" multiple
     />
   `)
 
@@ -235,3 +235,19 @@ test('input.files implements iterable', () => {
 
   expect(Array.from(eventTargetFiles)).toEqual(files)
 })
+
+test('throw error if trying to use upload on an invalid element', () => {
+  const {elements} = setup('<div></div><label><input type="checkbox"/></label>')
+
+  expect(() =>
+    userEvent.upload(elements[0], "I'm only a div :("),
+  ).toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(
+    `"The given DIV element does not accept file uploads"`,
+  )
+
+  expect(() =>
+    userEvent.upload(elements[1], "I'm a checkbox :("),
+  ).toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(
+    `"The associated INPUT element does not accept file uploads"`,
+  )
+})
diff --git a/src/paste.ts b/src/paste.ts
index 4bd4ae4e..2945662f 100644
--- a/src/paste.ts
+++ b/src/paste.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import {
   calculateNewValue,
   eventWrapper,
   isDisabled,
+  isElementType,
+  editableInputTypes,
 } from './utils'
 
 interface pasteOptions {
@@ -12,22 +14,36 @@ interface pasteOptions {
   initialSelectionEnd?: number
 }
 
+function isSupportedElement(
+  element: HTMLElement,
+): element is
+  | HTMLTextAreaElement
+  | (HTMLInputElement & {type: editableInputTypes}) {
+  return (
+    (isElementType(element, 'input') &&
+      Boolean(editableInputTypes[element.type as editableInputTypes])) ||
+    isElementType(element, 'textarea')
+  )
+}
+
 function paste(
-  element: HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement,
+  element: HTMLElement,
   text: string,
   init?: ClipboardEventInit,
   {initialSelectionStart, initialSelectionEnd}: pasteOptions = {},
 ) {
-  if (isDisabled(element)) {
-    return
-  }
-
   // TODO: implement for contenteditable
-  if (typeof element.value === 'undefined') {
+  if (!isSupportedElement(element)) {
     throw new TypeError(
-      `the current element is of type ${element.tagName} and doesn't have a valid value`,
+      `The given ${element.tagName} element is currently unsupported.
+      A PR extending this implementation would be very much welcome at https://github.com/testing-library/user-event`,
     )
   }
+
+  if (isDisabled(element)) {
+    return
+  }
+
   eventWrapper(() => element.focus())
 
   // by default, a new element has it's selection start and end at 0
diff --git a/src/upload.ts b/src/upload.ts
index 8615b379..04a79bb7 100644
--- a/src/upload.ts
+++ b/src/upload.ts
@@ -14,19 +14,24 @@ interface uploadOptions {
 }
 
 function upload(
-  element: HTMLInputElement | HTMLLabelElement,
+  element: HTMLElement,
   fileOrFiles: File | File[],
   init?: uploadInit,
   {applyAccept = false}: uploadOptions = {},
 ) {
+  const input = isElementType(element, 'label') ? element.control : element
+
+  if (!input || !isElementType(input, 'input', {type: 'file'})) {
+    throw new TypeError(
+      `The ${input === element ? 'given' : 'associated'} ${
+        input?.tagName
+      } element does not accept file uploads`,
+    )
+  }
   if (isDisabled(element)) return
 
   click(element, init?.clickInit)
 
-  const input = isElementType(element, 'label')
-    ? (element.control as HTMLInputElement)
-    : element
-
   const files = (Array.isArray(fileOrFiles) ? fileOrFiles : [fileOrFiles])
     .filter(file => !applyAccept || isAcceptableFile(file, input.accept))
     .slice(0, input.multiple ? undefined : 1)
diff --git a/src/utils/edit/isEditable.ts b/src/utils/edit/isEditable.ts
index ac53db06..08733e6b 100644
--- a/src/utils/edit/isEditable.ts
+++ b/src/utils/edit/isEditable.ts
@@ -1,42 +1,45 @@
-import { isElementType } from "../misc/isElementType";
-import { isContentEditable } from './isContentEditable'
+import {isElementType} from '../misc/isElementType'
+import {isContentEditable} from './isContentEditable'
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-type GuardedType<T> = T extends (x: any) => x is (infer R) ? R : never
+type GuardedType<T> = T extends (x: any) => x is infer R ? R : never
 
 export function isEditable(
-    element: Element
+  element: Element,
 ): element is
-    GuardedType<typeof isContentEditable>
-    | GuardedType<typeof isEditableInput>
-    | HTMLTextAreaElement & {readOnly: false}
-{
-    return isEditableInput(element)
-        || isElementType(element, 'textarea', {readOnly: false})
-        || isContentEditable(element)
+  | GuardedType<typeof isContentEditable>
+  | GuardedType<typeof isEditableInput>
+  | (HTMLTextAreaElement & {readOnly: false}) {
+  return (
+    isEditableInput(element) ||
+    isElementType(element, 'textarea', {readOnly: false}) ||
+    isContentEditable(element)
+  )
 }
 
-enum editableInputTypes {
-    'text' = 'text',
-    'date' = 'date',
-    'datetime-local' = 'datetime-local',
-    'email' = 'email',
-    'month' = 'month',
-    'number' = 'number',
-    'password' = 'password',
-    'search' = 'search',
-    'tel' = 'tel',
-    'time' = 'time',
-    'url' = 'url',
-    'week' = 'week',
+export enum editableInputTypes {
+  'text' = 'text',
+  'date' = 'date',
+  'datetime-local' = 'datetime-local',
+  'email' = 'email',
+  'month' = 'month',
+  'number' = 'number',
+  'password' = 'password',
+  'search' = 'search',
+  'tel' = 'tel',
+  'time' = 'time',
+  'url' = 'url',
+  'week' = 'week',
 }
 
 export function isEditableInput(
-    element: Element
+  element: Element,
 ): element is HTMLInputElement & {
-    readOnly: false,
-    type: editableInputTypes
+  readOnly: false
+  type: editableInputTypes
 } {
-    return isElementType(element, 'input', {readOnly: false})
-        && Boolean(editableInputTypes[element.type as editableInputTypes])
+  return (
+    isElementType(element, 'input', {readOnly: false}) &&
+    Boolean(editableInputTypes[element.type as editableInputTypes])
+  )
 }