diff --git a/R/aaa_values.R b/R/aaa_values.R
index 2462648a..b28811a6 100644
--- a/R/aaa_values.R
+++ b/R/aaa_values.R
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 #'
 #' @export
 value_validate <- function(object, values, ..., call = caller_env()) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   res <- switch(
     object$type,
     double = ,
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ value_validate_qual <- function(object, values, ..., call = caller_env()) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname value_validate
 value_seq <- function(object, n, original = TRUE) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   if (inherits(object, "quant_param")) {
     range_validate(object, object$range, ukn_ok = FALSE)
     check_number_whole(n, min = 1)
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ value_seq_qual <- function(object, n) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname value_validate
 value_sample <- function(object, n, original = TRUE) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_number_whole(n, min = 1)
   check_bool(original)
   if (inherits(object, "quant_param")) {
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ value_samp_qual <- function(object, n) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname value_validate
 value_transform <- function(object, values) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_for_unknowns(values)
 
   if (is.null(object$trans)) {
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ trans_wrap <- function(x, object) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname value_validate
 value_inverse <- function(object, values) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_for_unknowns(values)
 
   if (is.null(object$trans)) {
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ inv_wrap <- function(x, object) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname value_validate
 value_set <- function(object, values) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_for_unknowns(values)
   if (length(values) == 0) {
     cli::cli_abort("{.arg values} must have at least one element.")
diff --git a/R/finalize.R b/R/finalize.R
index 7628df5c..4a440412 100644
--- a/R/finalize.R
+++ b/R/finalize.R
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ finalize.default <- function(object, x, force = TRUE, ...) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname finalize
 get_p <- function(object, x, log_vals = FALSE, ...) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_bool(log_vals)
 
   rngs <- range_get(object, original = FALSE)
@@ -185,14 +185,14 @@ get_p <- function(object, x, log_vals = FALSE, ...) {
 #' @export
 #' @rdname finalize
 get_log_p <- function(object, x, ...) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   get_p(object, x, log_vals = TRUE, ...)
 }
 
 #' @export
 #' @rdname finalize
 get_n_frac <- function(object, x, log_vals = FALSE, frac = 1 / 3, ...) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_bool(log_vals)
   check_number_decimal(frac, min = 0, max = 1)
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ get_n_frac_range <- function(
   frac = c(1 / 10, 5 / 10),
   ...
 ) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   check_bool(log_vals)
   check_frac_range(frac)
 
@@ -264,14 +264,14 @@ get_n_frac_range <- function(
 #' @export
 #' @rdname finalize
 get_n <- function(object, x, log_vals = FALSE, ...) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   get_n_frac(object, x, log_vals, frac = 1, ...)
 }
 
 #' @export
 #' @rdname finalize
 get_rbf_range <- function(object, x, seed = sample.int(10^5, 1), ...) {
-  check_param(object)
+  check_inherits(object, "param")
   rlang::check_installed("kernlab")
   suppressPackageStartupMessages(requireNamespace("kernlab", quietly = TRUE))
   x_mat <- as.matrix(x)
diff --git a/R/misc.R b/R/misc.R
index e052301a..eb1764b9 100644
--- a/R/misc.R
+++ b/R/misc.R
@@ -196,29 +196,6 @@ check_inclusive <- function(x, ..., arg = caller_arg(x), call = caller_env()) {
   invisible(NULL)
 }
 
-check_param <- function(
-  x,
-  ...,
-  allow_na = FALSE,
-  allow_null = FALSE,
-  arg = caller_arg(x),
-  call = caller_env()
-) {
-  if (!missing(x) && inherits(x, "param")) {
-    return(invisible(NULL))
-  }
-
-  stop_input_type(
-    x,
-    c("a single parameter object"),
-    ...,
-    allow_na = allow_na,
-    allow_null = allow_null,
-    arg = arg,
-    call = call
-  )
-}
-
 check_inherits <- function(
   x,
   class,
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/aaa_values.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/aaa_values.md
index 7c94649f..fdba0d88 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/aaa_values.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/aaa_values.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
       value_validate("not a param", 1)
     Condition
       Error in `value_validate()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not the string "not a param".
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not the string "not a param".
 
 # value_seq validates inputs
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       value_seq("not a param", 5)
     Condition
       Error in `value_seq()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not the string "not a param".
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not the string "not a param".
 
 ---
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
       value_sample("not a param", 5)
     Condition
       Error in `value_sample()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not the string "not a param".
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not the string "not a param".
 
 ---
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
       value_transform("not a param", 1:3)
     Condition
       Error in `value_transform()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not the string "not a param".
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not the string "not a param".
 
 # value_inverse validates inputs
 
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
       value_inverse("not a param", 1:3)
     Condition
       Error in `value_inverse()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not the string "not a param".
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not the string "not a param".
 
 # transforms with unknowns
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/finalize.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/finalize.md
index 63520fb4..dc136e4b 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/finalize.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/finalize.md
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
       get_rbf_range("not a param", mtcars)
     Condition
       Error in `get_rbf_range()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not the string "not a param".
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not the string "not a param".
 
 # estimate columns
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
       get_p(1:10)
     Condition
       Error in `get_p()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not an integer vector.
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not an integer vector.
 
 ---
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
       get_p(1:10, 1:10)
     Condition
       Error in `get_p()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not an integer vector.
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not an integer vector.
 
 ---
 
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
       get_n(1:10)
     Condition
       Error in `get_n()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not an integer vector.
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not an integer vector.
 
 ---
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
       get_n(1:10, 1:10)
     Condition
       Error in `get_n()`:
-      ! `object` must be a single parameter object, not an integer vector.
+      ! `object` must be a <param> object, not an integer vector.
 
 ---