diff --git a/diffrax/_adjoint.py b/diffrax/_adjoint.py
index 94fe6092..3d85ec69 100644
--- a/diffrax/_adjoint.py
+++ b/diffrax/_adjoint.py
@@ -368,7 +368,9 @@ def loop(
         # Support forward-mode autodiff.
         # TODO: remove this hack once we can JVP through custom_vjps.
         if isinstance(solver, AbstractRungeKutta) and solver.scan_kind is None:
-            solver = eqx.tree_at(lambda s: s.scan_kind, solver, "bounded")
+            solver = eqx.tree_at(
+                lambda s: s.scan_kind, solver, "bounded", is_leaf=_is_none
+            )
         inner_while_loop = ft.partial(_inner_loop, kind=kind)
         outer_while_loop = ft.partial(_outer_loop, kind=kind)
         final_state = self._loop(
diff --git a/diffrax/_integrate.py b/diffrax/_integrate.py
index 74d52102..d33452bb 100644
--- a/diffrax/_integrate.py
+++ b/diffrax/_integrate.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import typing
 import warnings
 from collections.abc import Callable
-from typing import Any, cast, get_args, get_origin, Optional, Tuple, TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import Any, get_args, get_origin, Optional, Tuple, TYPE_CHECKING
 
 import equinox as eqx
 import equinox.internal as eqxi
@@ -736,27 +736,44 @@ def _wrap(term):
         is_leaf=lambda x: isinstance(x, AbstractTerm) and not isinstance(x, MultiTerm),
     )
 
-    if isinstance(stepsize_controller, AbstractAdaptiveStepSizeController):
-        if isinstance(solver, AbstractImplicitSolver):
-            if solver.root_finder.rtol is use_stepsize_tol:
-                solver = eqx.tree_at(
-                    lambda s: s.root_finder.rtol,
-                    solver,
-                    stepsize_controller.rtol,
-                )
-                solver = cast(AbstractImplicitSolver, solver)
-            if solver.root_finder.atol is use_stepsize_tol:
-                solver = eqx.tree_at(
-                    lambda s: s.root_finder.atol,
-                    solver,
-                    stepsize_controller.atol,
-                )
-                solver = cast(AbstractImplicitSolver, solver)
-            if solver.root_finder.norm is use_stepsize_tol:
-                solver = eqx.tree_at(
-                    lambda s: s.root_finder.norm,
-                    solver,
-                    stepsize_controller.norm,
+    if isinstance(solver, AbstractImplicitSolver):
+
+        def _get_tols(x):
+            outs = []
+            for attr in ("rtol", "atol", "norm"):
+                if getattr(solver.root_finder, attr) is use_stepsize_tol:  # pyright: ignore
+                    outs.append(getattr(x, attr))
+            return tuple(outs)
+
+        if isinstance(stepsize_controller, AbstractAdaptiveStepSizeController):
+            solver = eqx.tree_at(
+                lambda s: _get_tols(s.root_finder),
+                solver,
+                _get_tols(stepsize_controller),
+            )
+        else:
+            if len(_get_tols(solver.root_finder)) > 0:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "A fixed step size controller is being used alongside an implicit "
+                    "solver, but the tolerances for the implicit solver have not been "
+                    "specified. (Being unspecified is the default in Diffrax.)\n"
+                    "The correct fix is almost always to use an adaptive step size "
+                    "controller. For example "
+                    "`diffrax.diffeqsolve(..., "
+                    "stepsize_controller=diffrax.PIDController(rtol=..., atol=...))`. "
+                    "In this case the same tolerances are used for the implicit "
+                    "solver as are used to control the adaptive stepping.\n"
+                    "(Note for advanced users: the tolerances for the implicit "
+                    "solver can also be explicitly set instead. For example "
+                    "`diffrax.diffeqsolve(..., solver=diffrax.Kvaerno5(root_finder="
+                    "diffrax.VeryChord(rtol=..., atol=..., "
+                    "norm=optimistix.max_norm)))`. In this case the norm must also be "
+                    "explicitly specified.)\n"
+                    "Adaptive step size controllers are the preferred solution, as "
+                    "sometimes the implicit solver may fail to converge, and in this "
+                    "case an adaptive step size controller can reject the step and try "
+                    "a smaller one, whilst with a fixed step size controller the "
+                    "overall differential equation solve will simply fail."
                 )
 
     # Error checking
diff --git a/diffrax/_root_finder/_with_tols.py b/diffrax/_root_finder/_with_tols.py
index 49fcfd22..52779299 100644
--- a/diffrax/_root_finder/_with_tols.py
+++ b/diffrax/_root_finder/_with_tols.py
@@ -3,7 +3,15 @@
 import optimistix as optx
 
 
-use_stepsize_tol = object()
+class _UseStepSizeTol:
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return (
+            "<tolerance taken from `diffeqsolve(..., stepsize_controller=...)` "
+            "argument>"
+        )
+
+
+use_stepsize_tol = _UseStepSizeTol()
 
 
 def with_stepsize_controller_tols(cls: type[optx.AbstractRootFinder]):
diff --git a/test/test_adjoint.py b/test/test_adjoint.py
index b3ede4a6..f61a3f5e 100644
--- a/test/test_adjoint.py
+++ b/test/test_adjoint.py
@@ -363,3 +363,16 @@ def run(y0__args, adjoint):
     grads3 = run((y0, args), diffrax.RecursiveCheckpointAdjoint())
     assert tree_allclose(grads1, grads2, rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-3)
     assert tree_allclose(grads1, grads3, rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-3)
+
+
+def test_implicit_runge_kutta_direct_adjoint():
+    diffrax.diffeqsolve(
+        diffrax.ODETerm(lambda t, y, args: -y),
+        diffrax.Kvaerno5(),
+        0,
+        1,
+        0.01,
+        1.0,
+        adjoint=diffrax.DirectAdjoint(),
+        stepsize_controller=diffrax.PIDController(rtol=1e-3, atol=1e-6),
+    )
diff --git a/test/test_integrate.py b/test/test_integrate.py
index 85885338..05a8576b 100644
--- a/test/test_integrate.py
+++ b/test/test_integrate.py
@@ -504,3 +504,16 @@ def vector_field(t, y, args):
         assert text == "static_made_jump=False static_result=None\n"
     finally:
         diffrax._integrate._PRINT_STATIC = False
+
+
+def test_implicit_tol_error():
+    msg = "the tolerances for the implicit solver have not been specified"
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=msg):
+        diffrax.diffeqsolve(
+            diffrax.ODETerm(lambda t, y, args: -y),
+            diffrax.Kvaerno5(),
+            0,
+            1,
+            0.01,
+            1.0,
+        )