diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 85bb767..e94507d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ## 0.5.13
 
 * docs: Add rationale.
+* fix: Add variance safeguard.
 
 ## 0.5.12
 
diff --git a/src/Mapping/MappingEntry.php b/src/Mapping/MappingEntry.php
index 6bcd1fe..d571de5 100644
--- a/src/Mapping/MappingEntry.php
+++ b/src/Mapping/MappingEntry.php
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ public function getClass(): string
 
     public function isVariantTargetType(): bool
     {
+        if ($this->targetType instanceof MixedType) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->targetType->getBuiltinType() !== Type::BUILTIN_TYPE_OBJECT) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         return $this->variantTargetType;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/TransformerRegistry/SearchResultEntry.php b/src/TransformerRegistry/SearchResultEntry.php
index fd8c10e..cdfe6a7 100644
--- a/src/TransformerRegistry/SearchResultEntry.php
+++ b/src/TransformerRegistry/SearchResultEntry.php
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ public function getMappingOrder(): int
 
     public function isVariantTargetType(): bool
     {
+        if ($this->targetType instanceof MixedType) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->targetType->getBuiltinType() !== Type::BUILTIN_TYPE_OBJECT) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         return $this->variantTargetType;
     }