diff --git a/src/bipart.cpp b/src/bipart.cpp
index 2a4ae24f1..41f605161 100644
--- a/src/bipart.cpp
+++ b/src/bipart.cpp
@@ -273,6 +273,15 @@ Obj BIPART_PROD(Obj x, Obj y) {
   Bipartition* xx = bipart_get_cpp(x);
   Bipartition* yy = bipart_get_cpp(y);
 
+  if (xx->degree() != yy->degree()) {
+    // TODO implement a product_inplace checks version for bipartitions in
+    // Libsemigroups
+    ErrorMayQuit(
+        "the arguments <x> and <y> must have equal degrees but found %d <> %d",
+        xx->degree(),
+        yy->degree());
+  }
+
   Bipartition* z = new Bipartition(xx->degree());
   z->product_inplace_no_checks(*xx, *yy);
 
diff --git a/tst/testinstall.tst b/tst/testinstall.tst
index 51542f941..b0002c73e 100644
--- a/tst/testinstall.tst
+++ b/tst/testinstall.tst
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #@local bug, c, cong, contain, ec, es, f, file, g, gens, gns, hom, i, id, inv
 #@local iso, iter, latt, log, looking, lookingfor, map, mat, max, n, number, o
 #@local pair, pairs, r, regular, rel, rels, s, s1, s2, sgns, slist, small, t
-#@local tab, tuples, u, x, y, z
+#@local tab, tuples, u, x, y, z, a, b
 gap> START_TEST("Semigroups package: testinstall.tst");
 gap> LoadPackage("semigroups", false);;
 
@@ -1826,6 +1826,16 @@ gap> S := FreeBand(3);;
 gap> IsSelfDualSemigroup(S);
 true
 
+# Issue https://github.com/semigroups/Semigroups/issues/1183
+# Previously permitted to take products of bipartitions of different
+# degrees which was not intended.
+gap> a := Bipartition([[1, -1, -2], [2, 5], [3, 4, -3], [-4, -5], [6, -6]]);
+<bipartition: [ 1, -1, -2 ], [ 2, 5 ], [ 3, 4, -3 ], [ 6, -6 ], [ -4, -5 ]>
+gap> b := Bipartition([[1, -4], [2], [3, -1], [4], [5, -3], [-2], [-5]]);
+<bipartition: [ 1, -4 ], [ 2 ], [ 3, -1 ], [ 4 ], [ 5, -3 ], [ -2 ], [ -5 ]>
+gap> a * b;
+Error, the arguments <x> and <y> must have equal degrees but found 6 <> 5
+
 #
 gap> SEMIGROUPS.StopTest();
 gap> STOP_TEST("Semigroups package: testinstall.tst");