diff --git a/modules/common/default.nix b/modules/common/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0c90de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/common/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Modules that are common to various module systems
+# Usually with very small differences, if any, between them.
+{ lib, type ? null, ... }:
+let
+  allowedTypes = [
+    "nixos"
+    "home"
+    "darwin"
+  ];
+
+  allowedTypesString = lib.concatStringSep ", " (builtins.map lib.escapeNixString allowedTypes);
+in
+{
+  config = {
+    assertions = [
+      {
+        assertion = type != null;
+        message = ''
+          You must provide `type` as part of specialArgs to use the common modules.
+          It must be one of ${allowedTypesString}.
+        '';
+      }
+      {
+        assertion = type != null -> builtins.elem type allowedTypes;
+        message = ''
+          `type` specialArgs must be one of ${allowedTypesString}.
+        '';
+      }
+    ];
+  };
+}