diff --git a/crates/store/re_types_core/src/lib.rs b/crates/store/re_types_core/src/lib.rs
index 443e0254d0a0..95230e3eb3db 100644
--- a/crates/store/re_types_core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/store/re_types_core/src/lib.rs
@@ -144,3 +144,50 @@ pub mod external {
     pub use arrow2;
     pub use re_tuid;
 }
+
+/// Useful macro for staticlly asserting that a `struct` contains some specific fields.
+///
+/// In particular, this is useful to statcially check that an archetype
+/// has a specific component.
+///
+///  ```
+/// # #[macro_use] extern crate re_types_core;
+/// struct Data {
+///     x: f32,
+///     y: String,
+///     z: u32,
+/// }
+///
+/// static_assert_struct_has_fields!(Data, x: f32, y: String);
+/// ```
+///
+/// This will fail to compile because the type is wrong:
+///
+/// ```compile_fail
+/// # #[macro_use] extern crate re_types_core;
+/// struct Data {
+///     x: f32,
+/// }
+///
+/// static_assert_struct_has_fields!(Data, x: u32);
+/// ```
+///
+/// This will fail to compile because the field is missing:
+///
+/// ```compile_fail
+/// # #[macro_use] extern crate re_types_core;
+/// struct Data {
+///     x: f32,
+/// }
+///
+/// static_assert_struct_has_fields!(Data, nosuch: f32);
+/// ```
+///
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! static_assert_struct_has_fields {
+    ($strct:ty, $($field:ident: $field_typ:ty),+) => {
+        const _: fn(&$strct) = |s: &$strct| {
+            $(let _: &$field_typ = &s.$field;)+
+        };
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_data_ui/src/instance_path.rs b/crates/viewer/re_data_ui/src/instance_path.rs
index 71838d8acba5..6db689510b4e 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_data_ui/src/instance_path.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_data_ui/src/instance_path.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use re_types::{
     archetypes, components,
     datatypes::{ChannelDatatype, ColorModel},
     image::ImageKind,
-    Archetype, ComponentName, Loggable,
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields, Archetype, ComponentName, Loggable,
 };
 use re_ui::{ContextExt as _, UiExt as _};
 use re_viewer_context::{
@@ -251,6 +251,23 @@ fn preview_if_image_ui(
     entity_path: &re_log_types::EntityPath,
     component_map: &IntMap<ComponentName, UnitChunkShared>,
 ) -> Option<()> {
+    // First check assumptions:
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields!(
+        archetypes::Image,
+        buffer: components::ImageBuffer,
+        format: components::ImageFormat
+    );
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields!(
+        archetypes::DepthImage,
+        buffer: components::ImageBuffer,
+        format: components::ImageFormat
+    );
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields!(
+        archetypes::SegmentationImage,
+        buffer: components::ImageBuffer,
+        format: components::ImageFormat
+    );
+
     let image_buffer = component_map.get(&components::ImageBuffer::name())?;
     let buffer_row_id = image_buffer.row_id()?;
     let image_buffer = image_buffer
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_space_view_spatial/src/lib.rs b/crates/viewer/re_space_view_spatial/src/lib.rs
index 5519348f8556..238706096bb1 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_space_view_spatial/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_space_view_spatial/src/lib.rs
@@ -40,8 +40,12 @@ use re_space_view::DataResultQuery as _;
 use re_viewer_context::{ImageDecodeCache, ViewContext, ViewerContext};
 
 use re_renderer::RenderContext;
-use re_types::components::{Color, MediaType, Resolution};
-use re_types::{blueprint::components::BackgroundKind, components::ImageFormat};
+use re_types::{
+    archetypes,
+    blueprint::components::BackgroundKind,
+    components::{self, Color, ImageFormat, MediaType, Resolution},
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields,
+};
 use re_viewport_blueprint::{ViewProperty, ViewPropertyQueryError};
 
 mod view_kind {
@@ -57,6 +61,10 @@ fn resolution_of_image_at(
     query: &re_chunk_store::LatestAtQuery,
     entity_path: &re_log_types::EntityPath,
 ) -> Option<Resolution> {
+    // First check assumptions:
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields!(archetypes::Image, format: components::ImageFormat);
+    static_assert_struct_has_fields!(archetypes::EncodedImage, blob: components::Blob);
+
     let db = ctx.recording();
 
     if let Some((_, image_format)) = db.latest_at_component::<ImageFormat>(entity_path, query) {