diff --git a/pkg/tiller/release_server.go b/pkg/tiller/release_server.go
index db7c0b568..562555f1c 100644
--- a/pkg/tiller/release_server.go
+++ b/pkg/tiller/release_server.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ const notesFileSuffix = "NOTES.txt"
 var (
 	// errMissingChart indicates that a chart was not provided.
 	errMissingChart = errors.New("no chart provided")
+	// errDifferntChart indicates use a different chart to update the current release.
+	errDifferentChart = errors.New("update release with different chart")
 	// errMissingRelease indicates that a release (name) was not provided.
 	errMissingRelease = errors.New("no release provided")
 	// errInvalidRevision indicates that an invalid release revision number was provided.
@@ -373,3 +375,10 @@ func validateReleaseName(releaseName string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func validateChartUpdate(curChart, newChart *chart.Chart) error {
+	if curChart.Metadata.Name != newChart.Metadata.Name {
+		return errDifferentChart
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/tiller/release_update.go b/pkg/tiller/release_update.go
index 2e68905f6..a96bffaa6 100644
--- a/pkg/tiller/release_update.go
+++ b/pkg/tiller/release_update.go
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ func (s *ReleaseServer) prepareUpdate(req *services.UpdateReleaseRequest) (*rele
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
+	if err = validateChartUpdate(currentRelease.Chart, req.Chart); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+
 	// If new values were not supplied in the upgrade, re-use the existing values.
 	if err := s.reuseValues(req, currentRelease); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/tiller/release_update_test.go b/pkg/tiller/release_update_test.go
index 7b1618b20..9bd68bc7c 100644
--- a/pkg/tiller/release_update_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tiller/release_update_test.go
@@ -239,6 +239,28 @@ func TestUpdateReleaseFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestUpdateReleaseFailure_DifferentChart(t *testing.T) {
+	c := helm.NewContext()
+	rs := rsFixture()
+	rel := releaseStub()
+	rs.env.Releases.Create(rel)
+
+	req := &services.UpdateReleaseRequest{
+		Name: rel.Name,
+		Chart: &chart.Chart{
+			Metadata: &chart.Metadata{Name: "hi"},
+			Templates: []*chart.Template{
+				{Name: "templates/hi", Data: []byte("hi: there")},
+				{Name: "templates/hooks", Data: []byte(manifestWithUpgradeHooks)},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	_, err := rs.UpdateRelease(c, req)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected failed update")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestUpdateReleaseNoHooks(t *testing.T) {
 	c := helm.NewContext()
 	rs := rsFixture()