diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPass.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPass.php
index 4a152f575e..6eb89ae896 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPass.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPass.php
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class RegisterKernelListenersPass implements CompilerPassInterface
                 throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('The service "%s" must be public as event listeners are lazy-loaded.', $id));
             }
 
+            if ($def->isAbstract()) {
+                throw new \InvalidArgumentException(sprintf('The service "%s" must not be abstract as event listeners are lazy-loaded.', $id));
+            }
+
             foreach ($events as $event) {
                 $priority = isset($event['priority']) ? $event['priority'] : 0;
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPassTest.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPassTest.php
index a0bbcdc3d8..ce4856b4dc 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPassTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Compiler/RegisterKernelListenersPassTest.php
@@ -115,6 +115,20 @@ class RegisterKernelListenersPassTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $registerListenersPass = new RegisterKernelListenersPass();
         $registerListenersPass->process($container);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage The service "foo" must not be abstract as event listeners are lazy-loaded.
+     */
+    public function testAbstractEventListener()
+    {
+        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $container->register('foo', 'stdClass')->setAbstract(true)->addTag('kernel.event_listener', array());
+        $container->register('event_dispatcher', 'stdClass');
+
+        $registerListenersPass = new RegisterKernelListenersPass();
+        $registerListenersPass->process($container);
+    }
 }
 
 class SubscriberService implements \Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventSubscriberInterface