diff --git a/src/nupic/engine/Network.cpp b/src/nupic/engine/Network.cpp
index 1f90ca6741..e3df60eab4 100644
--- a/src/nupic/engine/Network.cpp
+++ b/src/nupic/engine/Network.cpp
@@ -319,10 +319,23 @@ void Network::link(const std::string &srcRegionName,
               << " does not exist on region " << destRegionName;
   }
 
-  NTA_CHECK(srcOutput->getDataType() == destInput->getDataType())
-      << "Network::link -- Mismatched data types."
-      << BasicType::getName(srcOutput->getDataType())
-      << " != " << BasicType::getName(destInput->getDataType());
+  // Validate link data types
+  if (srcOutput->isSparse() == destInput->isSparse()) {
+    NTA_CHECK(srcOutput->getDataType() == destInput->getDataType())
+        << "Network::link -- Mismatched data types."
+        << BasicType::getName(srcOutput->getDataType())
+        << " != " << BasicType::getName(destInput->getDataType());
+  } else if (srcOutput->isSparse()) {
+    // Sparse to dense: unit32 -> bool
+    NTA_CHECK(srcOutput->getDataType() == NTA_BasicType_UInt32 &&
+              destInput->getDataType() == NTA_BasicType_Bool)
+        << "Network::link -- Sparse to Dense link: source must be uint32 and "
+           "destination must be boolean";
+  } else if (destInput->isSparse()) {
+    // Dense to sparse:  NTA_BasicType -> uint32
+    NTA_CHECK(destInput->getDataType() == NTA_BasicType_UInt32)
+        << "Network::link -- Dense to Sparse link: destination must be uint32";
+  }
 
   // Create the link itself
   auto link =