diff --git a/jsonpointer.py b/jsonpointer.py
index 2285ffc..fc26ad6 100644
--- a/jsonpointer.py
+++ b/jsonpointer.py
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@ def get_part(cls, doc, part):
         if isinstance(doc, Mapping):
             return part
 
+        elif isinstance(doc, str):
+            raise JsonPointerException("Cannot apply token '%s' to non-container type %s" % (part, type(doc)))
+
         elif isinstance(doc, Sequence):
 
             if part == '-':
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 2cfd049..19bd621 100755
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -219,6 +219,13 @@ def test_leading_zero(self):
         doc = [0, 1, 2]
         self.assertRaises(JsonPointerException, resolve_pointer, doc, '/01')
 
+    def test_string_not_indexable(self):
+        doc = {"foo": "should-not-be-indexable"}
+        self.assertRaises(JsonPointerException, resolve_pointer, doc, "/foo/0")
+
+        ptr = JsonPointer("/foo/0")
+        self.assertRaises(JsonPointerException, ptr.resolve, doc)
+
 
 class ToLastTests(unittest.TestCase):