diff --git a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/basic.md b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/basic.md
index c0d2d1e2f0ec8..167692d422474 100644
--- a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/basic.md
+++ b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/basic.md
@@ -49,12 +49,44 @@ def foo(
     try:
         help()
     except x as e:
-        # TODO: should be `AttributeError`
-        reveal_type(e)  # revealed: @Todo(exception type)
+        reveal_type(e)  # revealed: AttributeError
     except y as f:
-        # TODO: should be `OSError | RuntimeError`
-        reveal_type(f)  # revealed: @Todo(exception type)
+        reveal_type(f)  # revealed: OSError | RuntimeError
     except z as g:
         # TODO: should be `BaseException`
-        reveal_type(g)  # revealed: @Todo(exception type)
+        reveal_type(g)  # revealed: @Todo(full tuple[...] support)
+```
+
+## Invalid exception handlers
+
+```py
+try:
+    pass
+# error: [invalid-exception] "Cannot catch object of type `Literal[3]` in an exception handler (must be a `BaseException` subclass or a tuple of `BaseException` subclasses)"
+except 3 as e:
+    reveal_type(e)  # revealed: Unknown
+
+try:
+    pass
+# error: [invalid-exception] "Cannot catch object of type `Literal["foo"]` in an exception handler (must be a `BaseException` subclass or a tuple of `BaseException` subclasses)"
+# error: [invalid-exception] "Cannot catch object of type `Literal[b"bar"]` in an exception handler (must be a `BaseException` subclass or a tuple of `BaseException` subclasses)"
+except (ValueError, OSError, "foo", b"bar") as e:
+    reveal_type(e)  # revealed: ValueError | OSError | Unknown
+
+def foo(
+    x: type[str],
+    y: tuple[type[OSError], type[RuntimeError], int],
+    z: tuple[type[str], ...],
+):
+    try:
+        help()
+    # error: [invalid-exception]
+    except x as e:
+        reveal_type(e)  # revealed: Unknown
+    # error: [invalid-exception]
+    except y as f:
+        reveal_type(f)  # revealed: OSError | RuntimeError | Unknown
+    except z as g:
+        # TODO: should emit a diagnostic here:
+        reveal_type(g)  # revealed: @Todo(full tuple[...] support)
 ```
diff --git a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/except_star.md b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/except_star.md
index b543544e56b35..47f6f2d97bd3a 100644
--- a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/except_star.md
+++ b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/resources/mdtest/exception/except_star.md
@@ -1,30 +1,59 @@
-# Except star
+# `except*`
 
-## Except\* with BaseException
+## `except*` with `BaseException`
 
 ```py
 try:
     help()
 except* BaseException as e:
+    # TODO: should be `BaseExceptionGroup[BaseException]` --Alex
     reveal_type(e)  # revealed: BaseExceptionGroup
 ```
 
-## Except\* with specific exception
+## `except*` with specific exception
 
 ```py
 try:
     help()
 except* OSError as e:
-    # TODO(Alex): more precise would be `ExceptionGroup[OSError]`
+    # TODO: more precise would be `ExceptionGroup[OSError]` --Alex
+    # (needs homogenous tuples + generics)
     reveal_type(e)  # revealed: BaseExceptionGroup
 ```
 
-## Except\* with multiple exceptions
+## `except*` with multiple exceptions
 
 ```py
 try:
     help()
 except* (TypeError, AttributeError) as e:
-    # TODO(Alex): more precise would be `ExceptionGroup[TypeError | AttributeError]`.
+    # TODO: more precise would be `ExceptionGroup[TypeError | AttributeError]` --Alex
+    # (needs homogenous tuples + generics)
+    reveal_type(e)  # revealed: BaseExceptionGroup
+```
+
+## `except*` with mix of `Exception`s and `BaseException`s
+
+```py
+try:
+    help()
+except* (KeyboardInterrupt, AttributeError) as e:
+    # TODO: more precise would be `BaseExceptionGroup[KeyboardInterrupt | AttributeError]` --Alex
+    reveal_type(e)  # revealed: BaseExceptionGroup
+```
+
+## Invalid `except*` handlers
+
+```py
+try:
+    help()
+except* 3 as e:  # error: [invalid-exception]
+    # TODO: Should be `BaseExceptionGroup[Unknown]` --Alex
+    reveal_type(e)  # revealed: BaseExceptionGroup
+
+try:
+    help()
+except* (AttributeError, 42) as e:  # error: [invalid-exception]
+    # TODO: Should be `BaseExceptionGroup[AttributeError | Unknown]` --Alex
     reveal_type(e)  # revealed: BaseExceptionGroup
 ```
diff --git a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types.rs b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types.rs
index 2ceefbb0b546d..7961f7f74f0d7 100644
--- a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types.rs
+++ b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types.rs
@@ -1185,6 +1185,8 @@ impl<'db> Type<'db> {
                     | KnownClass::Set
                     | KnownClass::Dict
                     | KnownClass::Slice
+                    | KnownClass::BaseException
+                    | KnownClass::BaseExceptionGroup
                     | KnownClass::GenericAlias
                     | KnownClass::ModuleType
                     | KnownClass::FunctionType
@@ -1857,6 +1859,8 @@ pub enum KnownClass {
     Set,
     Dict,
     Slice,
+    BaseException,
+    BaseExceptionGroup,
     // Types
     GenericAlias,
     ModuleType,
@@ -1887,6 +1891,8 @@ impl<'db> KnownClass {
             Self::List => "list",
             Self::Type => "type",
             Self::Slice => "slice",
+            Self::BaseException => "BaseException",
+            Self::BaseExceptionGroup => "BaseExceptionGroup",
             Self::GenericAlias => "GenericAlias",
             Self::ModuleType => "ModuleType",
             Self::FunctionType => "FunctionType",
@@ -1914,6 +1920,12 @@ impl<'db> KnownClass {
             .unwrap_or(Type::Unknown)
     }
 
+    pub fn to_subclass_of(self, db: &'db dyn Db) -> Option<Type<'db>> {
+        self.to_class_literal(db)
+            .into_class_literal()
+            .map(|ClassLiteralType { class }| Type::subclass_of(class))
+    }
+
     /// Return the module in which we should look up the definition for this class
     pub(crate) fn canonical_module(self, db: &'db dyn Db) -> CoreStdlibModule {
         match self {
@@ -1928,6 +1940,8 @@ impl<'db> KnownClass {
             | Self::Tuple
             | Self::Set
             | Self::Dict
+            | Self::BaseException
+            | Self::BaseExceptionGroup
             | Self::Slice => CoreStdlibModule::Builtins,
             Self::VersionInfo => CoreStdlibModule::Sys,
             Self::GenericAlias | Self::ModuleType | Self::FunctionType => CoreStdlibModule::Types,
@@ -1971,6 +1985,8 @@ impl<'db> KnownClass {
             | Self::ModuleType
             | Self::FunctionType
             | Self::SpecialForm
+            | Self::BaseException
+            | Self::BaseExceptionGroup
             | Self::TypeVar => false,
         }
     }
@@ -1992,6 +2008,8 @@ impl<'db> KnownClass {
             "dict" => Self::Dict,
             "list" => Self::List,
             "slice" => Self::Slice,
+            "BaseException" => Self::BaseException,
+            "BaseExceptionGroup" => Self::BaseExceptionGroup,
             "GenericAlias" => Self::GenericAlias,
             "NoneType" => Self::NoneType,
             "ModuleType" => Self::ModuleType,
@@ -2028,6 +2046,8 @@ impl<'db> KnownClass {
             | Self::GenericAlias
             | Self::ModuleType
             | Self::VersionInfo
+            | Self::BaseException
+            | Self::BaseExceptionGroup
             | Self::FunctionType => module.name() == self.canonical_module(db).as_str(),
             Self::NoneType => matches!(module.name().as_str(), "_typeshed" | "types"),
             Self::SpecialForm | Self::TypeVar | Self::TypeAliasType | Self::NoDefaultType => {
diff --git a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/diagnostic.rs b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/diagnostic.rs
index 36b87247b9926..24b0a3a0d13df 100644
--- a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/diagnostic.rs
+++ b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/diagnostic.rs
@@ -289,6 +289,18 @@ impl<'db> TypeCheckDiagnosticsBuilder<'db> {
         );
     }
 
+    pub(super) fn add_invalid_exception(&mut self, db: &dyn Db, node: &ast::Expr, ty: Type) {
+        self.add(
+            node.into(),
+            "invalid-exception",
+            format_args!(
+                "Cannot catch object of type `{}` in an exception handler \
+                (must be a `BaseException` subclass or a tuple of `BaseException` subclasses)",
+                ty.display(db)
+            ),
+        );
+    }
+
     /// Adds a new diagnostic.
     ///
     /// The diagnostic does not get added if the rule isn't enabled for this file.
diff --git a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/infer.rs b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/infer.rs
index 0e2fe388f6ae6..685e6e2a57044 100644
--- a/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/infer.rs
+++ b/crates/red_knot_python_semantic/src/types/infer.rs
@@ -1512,40 +1512,56 @@ impl<'db> TypeInferenceBuilder<'db> {
         except_handler_definition: &ExceptHandlerDefinitionKind,
         definition: Definition<'db>,
     ) {
-        let node_ty = except_handler_definition
-            .handled_exceptions()
-            .map(|ty| self.infer_expression(ty))
-            // If there is no handled exception, it's invalid syntax;
-            // a diagnostic will have already been emitted
-            .unwrap_or(Type::Unknown);
+        let node = except_handler_definition.handled_exceptions();
+
+        // If there is no handled exception, it's invalid syntax;
+        // a diagnostic will have already been emitted
+        let node_ty = node.map_or(Type::Unknown, |ty| self.infer_expression(ty));
+
+        // If it's an `except*` handler, this won't actually be the type of the bound symbol;
+        // it will actually be the type of the generic parameters to `BaseExceptionGroup` or `ExceptionGroup`.
+        let symbol_ty = if let Type::Tuple(tuple) = node_ty {
+            let type_base_exception = KnownClass::BaseException
+                .to_subclass_of(self.db)
+                .unwrap_or(Type::Unknown);
+            let mut builder = UnionBuilder::new(self.db);
+            for element in tuple.elements(self.db).iter().copied() {
+                builder = builder.add(if element.is_assignable_to(self.db, type_base_exception) {
+                    element.to_instance(self.db)
+                } else {
+                    if let Some(node) = node {
+                        self.diagnostics
+                            .add_invalid_exception(self.db, node, element);
+                    }
+                    Type::Unknown
+                });
+            }
+            builder.build()
+        } else if node_ty.is_subtype_of(self.db, KnownClass::Tuple.to_instance(self.db)) {
+            todo_type!("Homogeneous tuple in exception handler")
+        } else {
+            let type_base_exception = KnownClass::BaseException
+                .to_subclass_of(self.db)
+                .unwrap_or(Type::Unknown);
+            if node_ty.is_assignable_to(self.db, type_base_exception) {
+                node_ty.to_instance(self.db)
+            } else {
+                if let Some(node) = node {
+                    self.diagnostics
+                        .add_invalid_exception(self.db, node, node_ty);
+                }
+                Type::Unknown
+            }
+        };
 
         let symbol_ty = if except_handler_definition.is_star() {
-            // TODO should be generic --Alex
+            // TODO: we should infer `ExceptionGroup` if `node_ty` is a subtype of `tuple[type[Exception], ...]`
+            // (needs support for homogeneous tuples).
             //
-            // TODO should infer `ExceptionGroup` if all caught exceptions
-            // are subclasses of `Exception` --Alex
-            builtins_symbol(self.db, "BaseExceptionGroup")
-                .ignore_possibly_unbound()
-                .unwrap_or(Type::Unknown)
-                .to_instance(self.db)
+            // TODO: should be generic with `symbol_ty` as the generic parameter
+            KnownClass::BaseExceptionGroup.to_instance(self.db)
         } else {
-            // TODO: anything that's a consistent subtype of
-            // `type[BaseException] | tuple[type[BaseException], ...]` should be valid;
-            // anything else is invalid and should lead to a diagnostic being reported --Alex
-            match node_ty {
-                Type::Any | Type::Unknown => node_ty,
-                Type::ClassLiteral(ClassLiteralType { class }) => Type::instance(class),
-                Type::Tuple(tuple) => UnionType::from_elements(
-                    self.db,
-                    tuple.elements(self.db).iter().map(|ty| {
-                        ty.into_class_literal().map_or(
-                            todo_type!("exception type"),
-                            |ClassLiteralType { class }| Type::instance(class),
-                        )
-                    }),
-                ),
-                _ => todo_type!("exception type"),
-            }
+            symbol_ty
         };
 
         self.add_binding(