diff --git a/proxmox-api-macro/src/api.rs b/proxmox-api-macro/src/api.rs
index b55a6b45..999fa494 100644
--- a/proxmox-api-macro/src/api.rs
+++ b/proxmox-api-macro/src/api.rs
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ impl SchemaArray {
 /// See the top level macro documentation for a complete example.
 pub(crate) fn api(attr: TokenStream, item: TokenStream) -> Result<TokenStream, Error> {
     let attribs = JSONObject::parse_inner.parse2(attr)?;
+    let item: syn::Item = syn::parse2(item)?;
 
-    method::handle_method(attribs, item)
+    match item {
+        syn::Item::Fn(func) => method::handle_method(attribs, func),
+        _ => bail!(item => "api macro only works on functions"),
+    }
 }
diff --git a/proxmox-api-macro/src/api/method.rs b/proxmox-api-macro/src/api/method.rs
index cc793dbe..4efed1b7 100644
--- a/proxmox-api-macro/src/api/method.rs
+++ b/proxmox-api-macro/src/api/method.rs
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@ use crate::util::{BareAssignment, JSONObject, SimpleIdent};
 /// with an `#[api]` attribute and produce a `const ApiMethod` named after the function.
 ///
 /// See the top level macro documentation for a complete example.
-pub fn handle_method(mut attribs: JSONObject, item: TokenStream) -> Result<TokenStream, Error> {
-    let mut func: syn::ItemFn = syn::parse2(item)?;
-
+pub fn handle_method(mut attribs: JSONObject, mut func: syn::ItemFn) -> Result<TokenStream, Error> {
     let mut input_schema: Schema = attribs
         .remove_required_element("input")?
         .into_object("input schema definition")?