diff --git a/encodings/fsst/src/array.rs b/encodings/fsst/src/array.rs
index 68cf4a5f51..1e0a5e7dc3 100644
--- a/encodings/fsst/src/array.rs
+++ b/encodings/fsst/src/array.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ impl FSSTArray {
         }
 
         if !uncompressed_lengths.dtype().is_int() || uncompressed_lengths.dtype().is_nullable() {
-            vortex_bail!(InvalidArgument: "uncompressed_lengths must have integer type and cannot be nullable");
+            vortex_bail!(InvalidArgument: "uncompressed_lengths must have integer type and cannot be nullable, found {}", uncompressed_lengths.dtype());
         }
 
         if codes.encoding().id() != VarBinEncoding::ID {
diff --git a/vortex-array/src/compute/filter.rs b/vortex-array/src/compute/filter.rs
index 1628394cf1..21ecf6fb7f 100644
--- a/vortex-array/src/compute/filter.rs
+++ b/vortex-array/src/compute/filter.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,25 @@ pub fn filter(array: &ArrayData, mask: FilterMask) -> VortexResult<ArrayData> {
     }
 
     if let Some(filter_fn) = array.encoding().filter_fn() {
-        filter_fn.filter(array, mask)
+        let true_count = mask.true_count();
+        let result = filter_fn.filter(array, mask)?;
+        if array.dtype() != result.dtype() {
+            vortex_bail!(
+                "FilterFn {} changed array dtype from {} to {}",
+                array.encoding().id(),
+                array.dtype(),
+                result.dtype()
+            );
+        }
+        if true_count != result.len() {
+            vortex_bail!(
+                "FilterFn {} returned incorrect length: expected {}, got {}",
+                array.encoding().id(),
+                true_count,
+                result.len()
+            );
+        }
+        Ok(result)
     } else {
         // We can use scalar_at if the mask has length 1.
         if mask.true_count() == 1 && array.encoding().scalar_at_fn().is_some() {
diff --git a/vortex-array/src/validity.rs b/vortex-array/src/validity.rs
index 57eceab699..6fea9246cc 100644
--- a/vortex-array/src/validity.rs
+++ b/vortex-array/src/validity.rs
@@ -281,8 +281,14 @@ impl Validity {
             }
         }
 
-        if matches!(self, Validity::NonNullable | Validity::AllValid)
-            && matches!(patches, Validity::NonNullable | Validity::AllValid)
+        if matches!(self, Validity::NonNullable) {
+            if patches.null_count(positions.len())? > 0 {
+                vortex_bail!("Can't patch a non-nullable validity with null values")
+            }
+            return Ok(self);
+        }
+
+        if matches!(self, Validity::AllValid) && matches!(patches, Validity::AllValid)
             || self == patches
         {
             return Ok(self);
@@ -516,10 +522,6 @@ mod tests {
     #[rstest]
     #[case(Validity::NonNullable, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::NonNullable, Validity::NonNullable)]
     #[case(Validity::NonNullable, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::AllValid, Validity::NonNullable)]
-    #[case(Validity::NonNullable, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::AllInvalid, Validity::Array(BoolArray::from_iter([true, true, false, true, false]).into_array())
-    )]
-    #[case(Validity::NonNullable, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::Array(BoolArray::from_iter([true, false]).into_array()), Validity::Array(BoolArray::from_iter([true, true, true, true, false]).into_array())
-    )]
     #[case(Validity::AllValid, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::NonNullable, Validity::AllValid)]
     #[case(Validity::AllValid, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::AllValid, Validity::AllValid)]
     #[case(Validity::AllValid, 5, &[2, 4], Validity::AllInvalid, Validity::Array(BoolArray::from_iter([true, true, false, true, false]).into_array())