diff --git a/migrate/migrate.go b/migrate/migrate.go
index 81f4858e..636d2f04 100644
--- a/migrate/migrate.go
+++ b/migrate/migrate.go
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ func (e BadVersionError) Error() string {
 	return string(e)
 }
 
+type IrreversibleMigrationError struct {
+	m *Migration
+}
+
+func (e IrreversibleMigrationError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Irreversible migration: %d - %s", e.m.Sequence, e.m.Name)
+}
+
 type Migration struct {
 	Sequence int32
 	Name     string
@@ -88,6 +96,9 @@ func (m *Migrator) MigrateTo(targetVersion int32) (err error) {
 			sequence = current.Sequence - 1
 			sql = current.DownSQL
 			directionName = "down"
+			if current.DownSQL == "" {
+				return IrreversibleMigrationError{m: current}
+			}
 		}
 
 		var innerErr error
diff --git a/migrate/migrate_test.go b/migrate/migrate_test.go
index 5616eb3e..222e90aa 100644
--- a/migrate/migrate_test.go
+++ b/migrate/migrate_test.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrate(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(currentVersion, Equals, int32(3))
 }
 
-func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrateTo(c *C) {
+func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrateToLifeCycle(c *C) {
 	m := s.createSampleMigrator(c)
 
 	var onStartCallUpCount int
@@ -127,16 +127,8 @@ func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrateTo(c *C) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Migrate to -1 is error
-	err := m.MigrateTo(-1)
-	c.Assert(err, ErrorMatches, "schema_version version -1 is outside the valid versions of 0 to 3")
-
-	// Migrate past end is error
-	err = m.MigrateTo(int32(len(m.Migrations)) + 1)
-	c.Assert(err, ErrorMatches, "schema_version version 4 is outside the valid versions of 0 to 3")
-
 	// Migrate from 0 up to 1
-	err = m.MigrateTo(1)
+	err := m.MigrateTo(1)
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 	currentVersion := s.SelectValue(c, "select version from schema_version")
 	c.Assert(currentVersion, Equals, int32(1))
@@ -201,6 +193,28 @@ func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrateTo(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(onStartCallUpCount, Equals, 6)
 	c.Assert(onStartCallDownCount, Equals, 3)
 }
+func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrateToBoundaries(c *C) {
+	m := s.createSampleMigrator(c)
+
+	// Migrate to -1 is error
+	err := m.MigrateTo(-1)
+	c.Assert(err, ErrorMatches, "schema_version version -1 is outside the valid versions of 0 to 3")
+
+	// Migrate past end is error
+	err = m.MigrateTo(int32(len(m.Migrations)) + 1)
+	c.Assert(err, ErrorMatches, "schema_version version 4 is outside the valid versions of 0 to 3")
+}
+
+func (s *MigrateSuite) TestMigrateToIrreversible(c *C) {
+	m := s.createEmptyMigrator(c)
+	m.AppendMigration("Foo", "drop table if exists t3", "")
+
+	err := m.MigrateTo(1)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	err = m.MigrateTo(0)
+	c.Assert(err, ErrorMatches, "Irreversible migration: 1 - Foo")
+}
 
 func Example_OnStartMigrationProgressLogging() {
 	conn, err := pgx.Connect(*defaultConnectionParameters)