diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/AbstractRoutine.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/AbstractRoutine.java
index 1864ee1f7f..07c3faa6a9 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/AbstractRoutine.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/AbstractRoutine.java
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ implements
 
     @Override
     public final <Z> void set(Parameter<Z> parameter, Z value) {
-        setField(parameter, val(value, parameter.getDataType()));
+        setField(parameter, Tools.field(value, parameter.getDataType()));
     }
 
     /*
diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDataType.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDataType.java
index 33d3071965..9e7c5cc92f 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDataType.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDataType.java
@@ -114,7 +114,9 @@ import org.jooq.Generator;
 import org.jooq.Name;
 import org.jooq.Nullability;
 import org.jooq.QualifiedRecord;
+import org.jooq.QueryPart;
 import org.jooq.SQLDialect;
+import org.jooq.exception.DataTypeException;
 import org.jooq.exception.MappingException;
 import org.jooq.exception.SQLDialectNotSupportedException;
 import org.jooq.impl.DefaultBinding.InternalBinding;
@@ -931,6 +933,32 @@ public class DefaultDataType<T> extends AbstractDataTypeX<T> {
                 else if (java.util.Date.class == type)
                     return (DataType<T>) SQLDataType.TIMESTAMP;
 
+
+                // [#16529] Help users trouble shoot this particular problem
+                else if (QueryPart.class.isAssignableFrom(type))
+                    throw new DataTypeException(
+                        """
+                        Type {type} cannot be used as a bind variable type.
+
+                        This error often appears when a wrong overload is chosen, e.g. among:
+
+                        - <T> Field<T> someFunction(T arg1, T arg2);
+                        - <T> Field<T> someFunction(Field<T> arg1, Field<T> arg2)
+
+                        When mixing expression arguments with bind value arguments, such as:
+
+                          someFunction(TABLE.COLUMN, "bind value")
+
+                        Then only the first overload is applicable, and in some cases, jOOQ cannot auto-wrap
+                        the "bind value" in DSL.val("bind value") for you. Consider calling the function
+                        like this, instead:
+
+                          someFunction(TABLE.COLUMN, DSL.val("bind value"))
+
+                        If you think this error shouldn't appear, please report it here: https://jooq.org/bug
+                        """.replace("{type}", type.getName())
+                    );
+
                 // All other data types are illegal
                 else
                     throw new SQLDialectNotSupportedException("Type " + type + " is not supported in dialect " + dialect);