diff --git a/darshan-util/darshan-logutils-accumulator.c b/darshan-util/darshan-logutils-accumulator.c
index b4f091212..24f949290 100644
--- a/darshan-util/darshan-logutils-accumulator.c
+++ b/darshan-util/darshan-logutils-accumulator.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "darshan-logutils.h"
 #include "uthash-1.9.2/src/uthash.h"
@@ -107,10 +108,16 @@ int darshan_accumulator_inject(darshan_accumulator acc,
     int ret;
     file_hash_entry_t *hfile = NULL;
 
+    if(acc->module_id >= DARSHAN_KNOWN_MODULE_COUNT || acc->module_id < 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "darshan_accumulator_inject received an accumulator struct with an id that is likely corrupted\n");
+        return(-1);
+    }
+
     if(!mod_logutils[acc->module_id]->log_agg_records ||
        !mod_logutils[acc->module_id]->log_sizeof_record ||
        !mod_logutils[acc->module_id]->log_record_metrics) {
         /* this module doesn't support this operation */
+        fprintf(stderr, "darshan_accumulator_inject is operating on a module that doesn't support this operation");
         return(-1);
     }
 
@@ -126,8 +133,10 @@ int darshan_accumulator_inject(darshan_accumulator acc,
         ret = mod_logutils[acc->module_id]->log_record_metrics( new_record,
             &rec_id, &r_bytes, &w_bytes, &max_offset, &io_total_time,
             &md_only_time, &rw_only_time, &rank, &nprocs);
-        if(ret < 0)
+        if(ret < 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "darshan_accumulator_inject was unable to retrieve generic metrics from record");
             return(-1);
+        }
 
         /* accumulate performance metrics */
 
diff --git a/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/backend/api_def_c.py b/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/backend/api_def_c.py
index 3350867b6..d6e60e190 100644
--- a/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/backend/api_def_c.py
+++ b/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/backend/api_def_c.py
@@ -8,6 +8,34 @@
 
 
 header = """/* from darshan-logutils.h */
+
+struct darshan_derived_metrics {
+    int64_t total_bytes;
+    double unique_io_total_time_by_slowest;
+    double unique_rw_only_time_by_slowest;
+    double unique_md_only_time_by_slowest;
+    int unique_io_slowest_rank;
+    double shared_io_total_time_by_slowest;
+    double agg_perf_by_slowest;
+    double agg_time_by_slowest;
+    struct darshan_file_category_counters;
+};
+
+
+
+struct darshan_accumulator {
+    int64_t module_id;
+    int64_t job_nprocs;
+    void* agg_record;
+    int num_records;
+    void *file_hash_table;
+    double shared_io_total_time_by_slowest;
+    int64_t total_bytes;
+    double *rank_cumul_io_total_time;
+    double *rank_cumul_rw_only_time;
+    double *rank_cumul_md_only_time;
+};
+
 struct darshan_mnt_info
 {
     char mnt_type[3031];
@@ -23,6 +51,11 @@
     int partial_flag;
 };
 
+int darshan_accumulator_emit(struct darshan_accumulator, struct darshan_derived_metrics*, void* aggregation_record);
+int darshan_accumulator_destroy(struct darshan_accumulator);
+int darshan_accumulator_create(enum darshan_module_id, int64_t, struct darshan_accumulator*);
+int darshan_accumulator_inject(struct darshan_accumulator, void*, int);
+
 /* from darshan-log-format.h */
 typedef uint64_t darshan_record_id;
 
diff --git a/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/tests/test_cffi_misc.py b/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/tests/test_cffi_misc.py
index f1b60f172..c415ac225 100644
--- a/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/tests/test_cffi_misc.py
+++ b/darshan-util/pydarshan/darshan/tests/test_cffi_misc.py
@@ -159,3 +159,38 @@ def test_log_get_generic_record(dtype):
         # make sure the returned key/column names agree
         assert actual_counter_names == expected_counter_names
         assert actual_fcounter_names == expected_fcounter_names
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("log_path", [
+    "imbalanced-io.darshan",
+])
+def test_accumulator_invalid_id(capfdbinary, log_path):
+    # check for proper error handling of invalid
+    # id in darshan_accumulator_inject() C function
+    log_path = get_log_path(log_path)
+    log = backend.log_open(log_path)
+    jobrec = backend.ffi.new("struct darshan_job *")
+    backend.libdutil.darshan_log_get_job(log['handle'], jobrec)
+    modules = backend.log_get_modules(log)
+    for mod_name in modules:
+        mod_type = backend._structdefs[mod_name]
+        darshan_accumulator = backend.ffi.new("struct darshan_accumulator *")
+        buf = backend.ffi.new("void **")
+        r = backend.libdutil.darshan_log_get_record(log['handle'], modules[mod_name]['idx'], buf)
+        if r < 1:
+            continue
+        rbuf = backend.ffi.cast(mod_type, buf)
+        ret_create = backend.libdutil.darshan_accumulator_create(modules[mod_name]['idx'],
+                                            jobrec[0].nprocs,
+                                            darshan_accumulator)
+        # creation should work just fine
+        assert ret_create == 0
+        # the memory handling around the CFFI interface/struct opacity
+        # is such that we expect an error here:
+        r = backend.libdutil.darshan_accumulator_inject(darshan_accumulator[0], rbuf[0], 1)
+        if r == -1:
+            # stderr should provide something useful
+            captured = capfdbinary.readouterr()
+            assert b"id that is likely corrupted" in captured.err
+        else:
+            pytest.skip("darshan_accumulator_inject() is working in this scenario")