diff --git a/xrspatial/contour.py b/xrspatial/contour.py
index a4c11c52f..7261015fd 100644
--- a/xrspatial/contour.py
+++ b/xrspatial/contour.py
@@ -586,7 +586,9 @@ def contours(
 
     n_levels : int, default 10
         Number of contour levels to generate when ``levels`` is not
-        provided.
+        provided.  Must be an integer >= 1; otherwise a ``TypeError``
+        (non-integer) or ``ValueError`` (< 1) is raised.  Ignored when
+        ``levels`` is given, in which case it is not validated.
 
     return_type : str, default "numpy"
         Output format.  ``"numpy"`` returns a list of ``(level, coords)``
@@ -623,6 +625,17 @@ def contours(
 
     # Determine contour levels.
     if levels is None:
+        # n_levels is only consumed on this auto-level branch, so validate
+        # it here.  When explicit levels are supplied n_levels is ignored,
+        # and rejecting it then would be surprising.  Reject bools too:
+        # bool is an int subclass, but True/False as a level count is a bug.
+        if isinstance(n_levels, bool) or not isinstance(n_levels, (int, np.integer)):
+            raise TypeError(
+                f"n_levels must be an integer, got {type(n_levels).__name__}"
+            )
+        if n_levels < 1:
+            raise ValueError(f"n_levels must be >= 1, got {n_levels}")
+
         # Reduce over finite values only.  +/-inf cells would otherwise
         # poison the range and make np.linspace emit non-finite levels,
         # silently dropping every contour for the finite terrain.  An
diff --git a/xrspatial/tests/test_contour.py b/xrspatial/tests/test_contour.py
index 0066b66da..5a5829b1d 100644
--- a/xrspatial/tests/test_contour.py
+++ b/xrspatial/tests/test_contour.py
@@ -221,6 +221,54 @@ def test_auto_levels_ignore_inf_dask_cupy(self):
         assert np_levels == dc_levels
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# n_levels validation contract (issue #2895)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestNLevelsValidation:
+
+    def test_n_levels_zero_raises(self):
+        """n_levels=0 must raise instead of silently returning nothing."""
+        agg = create_test_raster(_make_ramp(), backend='numpy')
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="n_levels must be >= 1"):
+            contours(agg, n_levels=0)
+
+    def test_n_levels_negative_raises(self):
+        """n_levels=-1 must raise a clear out-of-range error."""
+        agg = create_test_raster(_make_ramp(), backend='numpy')
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="n_levels must be >= 1"):
+            contours(agg, n_levels=-1)
+
+    def test_n_levels_float_raises_clear_typeerror(self):
+        """A non-integer n_levels raises a clear TypeError naming the
+        parameter, not a raw numpy 'cannot be interpreted as an integer'."""
+        agg = create_test_raster(_make_ramp(), backend='numpy')
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="n_levels must be an integer"):
+            contours(agg, n_levels=2.5)
+
+    def test_n_levels_bool_raises(self):
+        """bool is an int subclass but is not a valid level count."""
+        agg = create_test_raster(_make_ramp(), backend='numpy')
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="n_levels must be an integer"):
+            contours(agg, n_levels=True)
+
+    def test_n_levels_one_produces_single_level(self):
+        """n_levels=1 is valid and yields exactly one contour level."""
+        agg = create_test_raster(_make_ramp(ny=5, nx=10), backend='numpy')
+        result = contours(agg, n_levels=1)
+        levels = sorted({lvl for lvl, _ in result})
+        assert len(levels) == 1
+
+    def test_explicit_levels_skip_n_levels_validation(self):
+        """When explicit levels are given, n_levels is unused and an
+        otherwise-invalid value must not be rejected."""
+        agg = create_test_raster(_make_ramp(ny=5, nx=6), backend='numpy')
+        # n_levels=0 would raise on the auto branch; with explicit levels
+        # it is ignored and the call must succeed.
+        result = contours(agg, levels=[2.5], n_levels=0)
+        assert len(result) > 0
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Edge cases
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------