diff --git a/src/rougail/objspace.py b/src/rougail/objspace.py
index 127bc2c5..7c97b0a0 100644
--- a/src/rougail/objspace.py
+++ b/src/rougail/objspace.py
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ class RougailObjSpace:
         # it's not a family
         tag = FORCE_TAG.get(child.tag, child.tag)
         children = getattr(space, tag, {})
-        if name in children:
+        if name in children and isinstance(children[name], getattr(self, child.tag)):
             return children[name]
         return None
 
diff --git a/src/rougail/path.py b/src/rougail/path.py
index ff1a2b78..b2b45eb8 100644
--- a/src/rougail/path.py
+++ b/src/rougail/path.py
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ class Path:
         if full_name in self.families and \
                 self.families[full_name]['variableobj'] != variableobj:  # pragma: no cover
             raise DictConsistencyError(_(f'Duplicate family name "{name}"'), 37, variableobj.xmlfiles)
+        if full_name in self.variables:
+            msg = _(f'A variable and a family has the same path "{full_name}"')
+            raise DictConsistencyError(msg, 56, variableobj.xmlfiles)
         self.families[full_name] = dict(name=name,
                                         namespace=namespace,
                                         variableobj=variableobj,
@@ -150,6 +153,9 @@ class Path:
         else:
             full_path = name
         variableobj.path = full_path
+        if full_path in self.families:
+            msg = _(f'A family and a variable has the same path "{full_path}"')
+            raise DictConsistencyError(msg, 57, variableobj.xmlfiles)
         self.variables[full_path] = dict(name=name,
                                          family=family,
                                          leader=None,
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/00-base.xml b/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/00-base.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b95506cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/00-base.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
+<rougail>
+    <variables>
+        <family name="general">
+            <variable name="my_variable2"/>
+        </family>
+        <variable name="general"/>
+    </variables>
+</rougail>
+<!-- vim: ts=4 sw=4 expandtab
+-->
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/__init__.py b/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/errno_57 b/tests/dictionaries/80family_variable_not_same_name/errno_57
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/00-base.xml b/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/00-base.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ca4e3da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/00-base.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
+<rougail>
+    <variables>
+        <variable name="general"/>
+        <family name="general">
+            <variable name="my_variable2"/>
+        </family>
+    </variables>
+</rougail>
+<!-- vim: ts=4 sw=4 expandtab
+-->
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/__init__.py b/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/errno_56 b/tests/dictionaries/80variable_family_not_same_name/errno_56
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b