diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1e49e3f..4f764df 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ pub mod unsafe_self_cell;
 ///
 ///   * **covariant**: This generates the direct reference accessor function
 ///     `borrow_dependent`. This is only safe to do if this compiles `fn
-///     _assert_covariance<'x: 'y, 'y>(x: $Dependent<'x>) -> $Dependent<'y>
+///     _assert_covariance<'x: 'y, 'y>(x: &'y $Dependent<'x>) -> &'y $Dependent<'y>
 ///     {x}`. Otherwise you could choose a lifetime that is too short for types
 ///     with interior mutability like `Cell`, which can lead to UB in safe code.
 ///     Which would violate the promise of this library that it is safe-to-use.
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ macro_rules! _covariant_access {
     (covariant, $Vis:vis, $Dependent:ident) => {
         /// Borrows dependent.
         $Vis fn borrow_dependent<'_q>(&'_q self) -> &'_q $Dependent<'_q> {
-            fn _assert_covariance<'x: 'y, 'y>(x: $Dependent<'x>) -> $Dependent<'y> {
+            fn _assert_covariance<'x: 'y, 'y>(x: &'y $Dependent<'x>) -> &'y $Dependent<'y> {
                 //  This function only compiles for covariant types.
                 x // Change the macro invocation to not_covariant.
             }
diff --git a/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance.stderr b/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance.stderr
index 2a697b8..96fb5f2 100644
--- a/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance.stderr
+++ b/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance.stderr
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-error[E0308]: mismatched types
+error[E0623]: lifetime mismatch
   --> $DIR/wrong_covariance.rs:7:1
    |
 7  | / self_cell!(
@@ -8,30 +8,9 @@ error[E0308]: mismatched types
 ...  |
 13 | |     }
 14 | | );
-   | |__^ lifetime mismatch
+   | |  ^
+   | |  |
+   | |__these two types are declared with different lifetimes...
+   |    ...but data from `x` flows into `x` here
    |
-   = note: expected struct `Cell<&'y String>`
-              found struct `Cell<&'x String>`
-note: the lifetime `'y` as defined on the function body at 580:43...
-  --> $DIR/wrong_covariance.rs:7:1
-   |
-7  | / self_cell!(
-8  | |     struct NoCov {
-9  | |         owner: String,
-10 | |
-...  |
-13 | |     }
-14 | | );
-   | |__^
-note: ...does not necessarily outlive the lifetime `'x` as defined on the function body at 580:35
-  --> $DIR/wrong_covariance.rs:7:1
-   |
-7  | / self_cell!(
-8  | |     struct NoCov {
-9  | |         owner: String,
-10 | |
-...  |
-13 | |     }
-14 | | );
-   | |__^
    = note: this error originates in a macro (in Nightly builds, run with -Z macro-backtrace for more info)
diff --git a/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.rs b/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44e7a32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::fmt;
+
+use self_cell::self_cell;
+
+self_cell! {
+    struct WrongVarianceExample {
+        owner: (),
+
+        #[covariant]
+        dependent: Dependent,
+    }
+}
+
+// this type is not covariant
+type Dependent<'a> = RefCell<Box<dyn fmt::Display + 'a>>;
+
+fn main() {
+    let cell = WrongVarianceExample::new((), |_| RefCell::new(Box::new("")));
+    let s = String::from("Hello World");
+
+    // borrow_dependent unsound due to incorrectly checked variance
+    *cell.borrow_dependent().borrow_mut() = Box::new(s.as_str());
+
+    // s still exists
+    cell.with_dependent(|_, d| println!("{}", d.borrow()));
+
+    drop(s);
+
+    // s is gone
+    cell.with_dependent(|_, d| println!("{}", d.borrow()));
+}
diff --git a/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.stderr b/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..784ff7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests-extra/invalid/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+error[E0623]: lifetime mismatch
+  --> $DIR/wrong_covariance_unsize_coercion.rs:6:1
+   |
+6  | / self_cell! {
+7  | |     struct WrongVarianceExample {
+8  | |         owner: (),
+9  | |
+...  |
+12 | |     }
+13 | | }
+   | | ^
+   | | |
+   | |_these two types are declared with different lifetimes...
+   |   ...but data from `x` flows into `x` here
+   |
+   = note: this error originates in a macro (in Nightly builds, run with -Z macro-backtrace for more info)