diff --git a/src/relay/backend/aot_executor_codegen.cc b/src/relay/backend/aot_executor_codegen.cc
index 945290f70265..f698c654d6d8 100644
--- a/src/relay/backend/aot_executor_codegen.cc
+++ b/src/relay/backend/aot_executor_codegen.cc
@@ -454,7 +454,32 @@ class AOTExecutorCodegen : public MixedModeVisitor {
         // call_extern calling convention with optional context
         if (has_c_device_api_context) {
           device_context = device_contexts_.Get(global_var).value();
-          args.push_back(device_context);
+
+          // call_extern has no further legalization steps, and
+          // requires the number of arguments to match exactly.    For
+          // internal calls, conditionally append the device context.
+          bool requires_device_context = [&]() -> bool {
+            Optional<Integer> opt = num_arguments_.Get(global_var);
+            if (!opt.defined()) {
+              // For external calls, we must trust that the user has
+              // supplied a kernel that accepts a device_context
+              // argument.
+              return true;
+            }
+            int num_callee_params = opt.value()->value;
+            int num_args = call_lowered_props.arguments.size();
+            if (num_callee_params == num_args) {
+              return false;
+            } else if (num_callee_params == num_args + 1) {
+              return true;
+            } else {
+              LOG(FATAL) << "Callee " << global_var << " requires " << num_callee_params
+                         << ", but is called with " << num_args << " arguments.";
+            }
+          }();
+          if (requires_device_context) {
+            args.push_back(device_context);
+          }
         }
         func_call = tir::Evaluate(AddCheckReturn(
             tvm::tir::Call(DataType::Int(32), tvm::tir::builtin::call_extern(), args)));
@@ -1007,6 +1032,8 @@ class AOTExecutorCodegen : public MixedModeVisitor {
   Map<String, tir::Var> devices_;
   /*! \brief map of GlobalVars to C Device API contexts */
   Map<GlobalVar, tir::Var> device_contexts_;
+  /*! \brief map of GlobalVars to the number of arguments they require */
+  Map<GlobalVar, Integer> num_arguments_;
   /*! \brief input and output variables belonging to the main function signature */
   Array<tir::Var> main_signature_;
   /*! \brief input and output variables belonging to the main function signature */
@@ -1183,6 +1210,15 @@ class AOTExecutorCodegen : public MixedModeVisitor {
     }
 
     CollectDeviceVariables(lowered_mod->GetAttr<Map<GlobalVar, String>>("device_contexts").value());
+    num_arguments_ = [&]() -> Map<GlobalVar, Integer> {
+      Map<GlobalVar, Integer> arg_count;
+      for (const auto& [gvar, func] : lowered_mod->functions) {
+        if (const auto* prim_func = func.as<tir::PrimFuncNode>()) {
+          arg_count.Set(gvar, prim_func->params.size());
+        }
+      }
+      return arg_count;
+    }();
     VisitExpr(lowered_main_func->body);
 
     // Create the runner function. Please note that the function is not legal yet