diff --git a/cryptography/hazmat/primitives/ciphers/base.py b/cryptography/hazmat/primitives/ciphers/base.py
index 3f6ca0f..252a9fe 100644
--- a/cryptography/hazmat/primitives/ciphers/base.py
+++ b/cryptography/hazmat/primitives/ciphers/base.py
@@ -33,17 +33,17 @@
         ctx = self._backend.create_symmetric_encryption_ctx(
             self.algorithm, self.mode
         )
-        return self._wrap_ctx(ctx)
+        return self._wrap_ctx(ctx, True)
 
     def decryptor(self):
         ctx = self._backend.create_symmetric_decryption_ctx(
             self.algorithm, self.mode
         )
-        return self._wrap_ctx(ctx)
+        return self._wrap_ctx(ctx, False)
 
-    def _wrap_ctx(self, ctx):
+    def _wrap_ctx(self, ctx, encrypt):
         if isinstance(self.mode, interfaces.ModeWithAAD):
-            return _AEADCipherContext(ctx)
+            return _AEADCipherContext(ctx, encrypt)
         else:
             return _CipherContext(ctx)
 
@@ -69,10 +69,11 @@
 @utils.register_interface(interfaces.AEADCipherContext)
 @utils.register_interface(interfaces.CipherContext)
 class _AEADCipherContext(object):
-    def __init__(self, ctx):
+    def __init__(self, ctx, encrypt):
         self._ctx = ctx
         self._tag = None
         self._updated = False
+        self._encrypt = encrypt
 
     def update(self, data):
         if self._ctx is None:
@@ -97,6 +98,9 @@
 
     @property
     def tag(self):
+        if not self._encrypt:
+            raise TypeError("The tag attribute is unavailable on a "
+                            "decryption context")
         if self._ctx is not None:
             raise NotYetFinalized("You must finalize encryption before "
                                   "getting the tag")
diff --git a/docs/hazmat/primitives/symmetric-encryption.rst b/docs/hazmat/primitives/symmetric-encryption.rst
index d123d15..f35357d 100644
--- a/docs/hazmat/primitives/symmetric-encryption.rst
+++ b/docs/hazmat/primitives/symmetric-encryption.rst
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@
         :return bytes: Returns the tag value as bytes.
         :raises: :class:`~cryptography.exceptions.NotYetFinalized` if called
                  before the context is finalized.
+        :raises TypeError: If called on a decryption context.
 
 .. _symmetric-encryption-algorithms:
 
diff --git a/tests/hazmat/primitives/utils.py b/tests/hazmat/primitives/utils.py
index b6f9e0f..58b9a91 100644
--- a/tests/hazmat/primitives/utils.py
+++ b/tests/hazmat/primitives/utils.py
@@ -344,3 +344,12 @@
         encryptor.update(b"b" * 16)
     with pytest.raises(AlreadyFinalized):
         encryptor.finalize()
+    cipher = Cipher(
+        cipher_factory(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
+        mode_factory(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 24), b"0" * 16),
+        backend
+    )
+    decryptor = cipher.decryptor()
+    decryptor.update(b"a" * 16)
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        decryptor.tag