diff --git a/service/processor/src/main/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessor.java b/service/processor/src/main/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessor.java
index 06e391e98a..26c1435d6b 100644
--- a/service/processor/src/main/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessor.java
+++ b/service/processor/src/main/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessor.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 import javax.lang.model.element.AnnotationMirror;
 import javax.lang.model.element.AnnotationValue;
 import javax.lang.model.element.Element;
+import javax.lang.model.element.Modifier;
 import javax.lang.model.element.PackageElement;
 import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.type.DeclaredType;
@@ -233,13 +234,18 @@ private boolean checkImplementer(
       return true;
     }
 
-    // TODO: We're currently only enforcing the subtype relationship
-    // constraint. It would be nice to enforce them all.
+    // We check that providerImplementer does indeed inherit from providerType, and that it is not
+    // abstract (an abstract class or interface). For ServiceLoader, we could also check that it has
+    // a public no-arg constructor. But it turns out that people also use AutoService in contexts
+    // where the META-INF/services entries are read by things other than ServiceLoader. Those things
+    // still require the class to exist and inherit from providerType, but they don't necessarily
+    // require a public no-arg constructor.
+    // More background: https://github.com/google/auto/issues/1505.
 
     Types types = processingEnv.getTypeUtils();
 
     if (types.isSubtype(providerImplementer.asType(), providerType.asType())) {
-      return true;
+      return checkNotAbstract(providerImplementer, annotationMirror);
     }
 
     // Maybe the provider has generic type, but the argument to @AutoService can't be generic.
@@ -255,12 +261,31 @@ private boolean checkImplementer(
             providerImplementer,
             annotationMirror);
       }
-      return true;
+      return checkNotAbstract(providerImplementer, annotationMirror);
     }
 
+    String message =
+        "ServiceProviders must implement their service provider interface. "
+            + providerImplementer.getQualifiedName()
+            + " does not implement "
+            + providerType.getQualifiedName();
+    error(message, providerImplementer, annotationMirror);
+
     return false;
   }
 
+  private boolean checkNotAbstract(
+      TypeElement providerImplementer, AnnotationMirror annotationMirror) {
+    if (providerImplementer.getModifiers().contains(Modifier.ABSTRACT)) {
+      error(
+          "@AutoService cannot be applied to an abstract class or an interface",
+          providerImplementer,
+          annotationMirror);
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
   private static boolean suppresses(Element element, String warning) {
     for (; element != null; element = element.getEnclosingElement()) {
       SuppressWarnings suppress = element.getAnnotation(SuppressWarnings.class);
diff --git a/service/processor/src/test/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessorTest.java b/service/processor/src/test/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessorTest.java
index 560aa99570..7f2bf0264e 100644
--- a/service/processor/src/test/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessorTest.java
+++ b/service/processor/src/test/java/com/google/auto/service/processor/AutoServiceProcessorTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import com.google.testing.compile.Compilation;
 import com.google.testing.compile.Compiler;
 import com.google.testing.compile.JavaFileObjects;
+import javax.tools.JavaFileObject;
 import javax.tools.StandardLocation;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -218,4 +219,38 @@ public void missing() {
     assertThat(compilation).failed();
     assertThat(processor.exceptionStacks()).isEmpty();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void autoServiceOnInterface() {
+    AutoServiceProcessor processor = new AutoServiceProcessor();
+    JavaFileObject autoServiceOnInterface =
+        JavaFileObjects.forResource("test/AutoServiceOnInterface.java");
+    Compilation compilation =
+        Compiler.javac()
+            .withProcessors(processor)
+            .withOptions("-Averify=true")
+            .compile(autoServiceOnInterface);
+    assertThat(compilation)
+        .hadErrorContaining("@AutoService cannot be applied to an abstract class or an interface")
+        .inFile(autoServiceOnInterface)
+        .onLineContaining("@AutoService");
+    assertThat(processor.exceptionStacks()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void autoServiceOnAbstractClass() {
+    AutoServiceProcessor processor = new AutoServiceProcessor();
+    JavaFileObject autoServiceOnAbstractClass =
+        JavaFileObjects.forResource("test/AutoServiceOnAbstractClass.java");
+    Compilation compilation =
+        Compiler.javac()
+            .withProcessors(processor)
+            .withOptions("-Averify=true")
+            .compile(JavaFileObjects.forResource("test/AutoServiceOnAbstractClass.java"));
+    assertThat(compilation)
+        .hadErrorContaining("@AutoService cannot be applied to an abstract class or an interface")
+        .inFile(autoServiceOnAbstractClass)
+        .onLineContaining("@AutoService");
+    assertThat(processor.exceptionStacks()).isEmpty();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/service/processor/src/test/resources/test/AutoServiceOnAbstractClass.java b/service/processor/src/test/resources/test/AutoServiceOnAbstractClass.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1669ca29ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/processor/src/test/resources/test/AutoServiceOnAbstractClass.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2023 Google LLC
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package test;
+
+import com.google.auto.service.AutoService;
+
+@AutoService(SomeService.class)
+public abstract class AutoServiceOnAbstractClass implements SomeService {}
diff --git a/service/processor/src/test/resources/test/AutoServiceOnInterface.java b/service/processor/src/test/resources/test/AutoServiceOnInterface.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..84fcf12613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/processor/src/test/resources/test/AutoServiceOnInterface.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2023 Google LLC
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package test;
+
+import com.google.auto.service.AutoService;
+
+@AutoService(SomeService.class)
+public interface AutoServiceOnInterface extends SomeService {}