diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts
index c6c069f27e71f..a4dfd3066aaf4 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/lib/cfn-resource.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { CfnCondition } from './cfn-condition';
 /* eslint-disable import/order */
 import { CfnRefElement } from './cfn-element';
 import { CfnCreationPolicy, CfnDeletionPolicy, CfnUpdatePolicy } from './cfn-resource-policy';
-import { Construct, IConstruct, Node } from 'constructs';
+import { Construct, Node } from 'constructs';
 import { addDependency, obtainDependencies, removeDependency } from './deps';
 import { CfnReference } from './private/cfn-reference';
 import { Reference } from './reference';
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ export interface CfnResourceProps {
  */
 export class CfnResource extends CfnRefElement {
   /**
-   * Check whether the given construct is a CfnResource
+   * Check whether the given object is a CfnResource
    */
-  public static isCfnResource(construct: IConstruct): construct is CfnResource {
-    return (construct as any).cfnResourceType !== undefined;
+  public static isCfnResource(x: any): x is CfnResource {
+    return x !== null && typeof(x) === 'object' && x.cfnResourceType !== undefined;
   }
 
   // MAINTAINERS NOTE: this class serves as the base class for the generated L1
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/test/cfn-resource.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/test/cfn-resource.test.ts
index d8c8fab44d5b5..78230863d3f51 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/test/cfn-resource.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/core/test/cfn-resource.test.ts
@@ -412,4 +412,28 @@ describe('cfn resource', () => {
       delete process.env.CDK_DEBUG;
     }
   });
+
+  test('isCfnResource returns true with a CfnResource', () => {
+    const app = new core.App();
+    const stack = new core.Stack(app, 'Stack');
+    const res = new core.CfnResource(stack, 'SomeCfnResource', {
+      type: 'Some::Resource',
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(core.CfnResource.isCfnResource(res)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('isCfnResource returns false with a construct', () => {
+    const app = new core.App();
+    const stack = new core.Stack(app, 'Stack');
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(core.CfnResource.isCfnResource(stack)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('isCfnResource returns false with undefined', () => {
+    // THEN
+    expect(core.CfnResource.isCfnResource(undefined)).toBe(false);
+  });
 });