diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
index 2c17ebe09790..1df3d653da49 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/multiarraymodule.c
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ PyArray_InnerProduct(PyObject *op1, PyObject *op2)
     typenum = PyArray_ObjectType(op2, typenum);
     typec = PyArray_DescrFromType(typenum);
     if (typec == NULL) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Cannot find a common data type.");
         goto fail;
     }
 
@@ -912,7 +913,7 @@ PyArray_MatrixProduct2(PyObject *op1, PyObject *op2, PyArrayObject* out)
     typenum = PyArray_ObjectType(op2, typenum);
     typec = PyArray_DescrFromType(typenum);
     if (typec == NULL) {
-        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Cannot find a common data type.");
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "Cannot find a common data type.");
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/numpy/core/tests/test_multiarray.py b/numpy/core/tests/test_multiarray.py
index c9e610cbff12..26617c1fc7bd 100644
--- a/numpy/core/tests/test_multiarray.py
+++ b/numpy/core/tests/test_multiarray.py
@@ -2045,7 +2045,7 @@ def test_dot_type_mismatch(self):
         c = 1.
         A = np.array((1,1), dtype='i,i')
 
-        assert_raises(ValueError, np.dot, c, A)
+        assert_raises(TypeError, np.dot, c, A)
         assert_raises(TypeError, np.dot, A, c)
 
     def test_diagonal(self):