diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
index 2af3c85bc1a85..b83d56750be93 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilder.php
@@ -725,6 +725,10 @@ public function findDefinition($id)
      */
     private function createService(Definition $definition, $id)
     {
+        if ($definition->isSynthetic()) {
+            throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('You have requested a synthetic service ("%s"). The DIC does not know how to construct this service.', $id));
+        }
+
         if (null !== $definition->getFile()) {
             require_once $this->getParameterBag()->resolveValue($definition->getFile());
         }
diff --git a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilderTest.php b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilderTest.php
index c712ce66d99b7..2d5d311d6815c 100644
--- a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilderTest.php
+++ b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/DependencyInjection/ContainerBuilderTest.php
@@ -315,6 +315,17 @@ public function testCreateServiceConfigurator()
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @covers Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder::createService
+     * @expectedException \RuntimeException
+     */
+    public function testCreateSyntheticService()
+    {
+        $builder = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $builder->register('foo', 'FooClass')->setSynthetic(true);
+        $builder->get('foo');
+    }
+
     /**
      * @covers Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder::resolveServices
      */