diff --git a/pygmt/clib/session.py b/pygmt/clib/session.py
index eba799660f3..12f7df5eb45 100644
--- a/pygmt/clib/session.py
+++ b/pygmt/clib/session.py
@@ -1755,9 +1755,10 @@ def virtualfile_from_stringio(
     @deprecate_parameter(
         "required_data", "required", "v0.16.0", remove_version="v0.20.0"
     )
-    def virtualfile_in(  # noqa: PLR0912
+    def virtualfile_in(
         self,
         check_kind=None,
+        kind=None,
         data=None,
         x=None,
         y=None,
@@ -1847,7 +1848,9 @@ def virtualfile_in(  # noqa: PLR0912
             )
             mincols = 3
 
-        kind = data_kind(data, required=required)
+        # Determine the data kind if not given.
+        if kind is None:
+            kind = data_kind(data, required=required, check_kind=check_kind)
         _validate_data_input(
             data=data,
             x=x,
@@ -1858,16 +1861,6 @@ def virtualfile_in(  # noqa: PLR0912
             kind=kind,
         )
 
-        if check_kind:
-            valid_kinds = ("file", "arg") if required is False else ("file",)
-            if check_kind == "raster":
-                valid_kinds += ("grid", "image")
-            elif check_kind == "vector":
-                valid_kinds += ("empty", "matrix", "vectors", "geojson")
-            if kind not in valid_kinds:
-                msg = f"Unrecognized data type for {check_kind}: {type(data)}."
-                raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
-
         # Decide which virtualfile_from_ function to use
         _virtualfile_from = {
             "arg": contextlib.nullcontext,
diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/utils.py b/pygmt/helpers/utils.py
index 387d61e03b3..b0209f5b814 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/utils.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/utils.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@
     "ISO-8859-16",
 ]
 
+# Type hints for the list of data kinds.
+Kind = Literal[
+    "arg", "empty", "file", "geojson", "grid", "image", "matrix", "stringio", "vectors"
+]
+
 
 def _validate_data_input(  # noqa: PLR0912
     data=None, x=None, y=None, z=None, required=True, mincols=2, kind=None
@@ -272,11 +277,11 @@ def _check_encoding(argstr: str) -> Encoding:
     return "ISOLatin1+"
 
 
-def data_kind(
-    data: Any, required: bool = True
-) -> Literal[
-    "arg", "empty", "file", "geojson", "grid", "image", "matrix", "stringio", "vectors"
-]:
+def data_kind(  # noqa: PLR0912
+    data: Any,
+    required: bool = True,
+    check_kind: Kind | Sequence[Kind] | Literal["raster", "vector"] | None = None,
+) -> Kind:
     r"""
     Check the kind of data that is provided to a module.
 
@@ -307,6 +312,14 @@ def data_kind(
     required
         Whether 'data' is required. Set to ``False`` when dealing with optional virtual
         files.
+    check_kind
+        Used to validate the type of data that can be passed in. Valid values are:
+
+        - Any recognized data kind
+        - A list/tuple of recognized data kinds
+        - ``"raster"``: shorthand for a sequence of raster-like data kinds
+        - ``"vector"``: shorthand for a sequence of vector-like data kinds
+        - ``None``: means no validatation.
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -414,6 +427,24 @@ def data_kind(
             kind = "matrix"
         case _:  # Fall back to "vectors" if data is None and required=True.
             kind = "vectors"
+
+    # Now start to check if the data kind is valid.
+    if check_kind is not None:
+        valid_kinds = ("file", "arg") if required is False else ("file",)
+        match check_kind:
+            case "raster":
+                valid_kinds += ("grid", "image")
+            case "vector":
+                valid_kinds += ("empty", "matrix", "vectors", "geojson")
+            case str():
+                valid_kinds = (check_kind,)
+            case list() | tuple():
+                valid_kinds = check_kind
+
+        if kind not in valid_kinds:
+            msg = f"Unrecognized data type: {type(data)}."
+            raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
+
     return kind  # type: ignore[return-value]
 
 
diff --git a/pygmt/src/grdcut.py b/pygmt/src/grdcut.py
index 2d5b1f0e5c9..b200a5c118b 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/grdcut.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/grdcut.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def grdcut(
         raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
 
     # Determine the output data kind based on the input data kind.
-    match inkind := data_kind(grid):
+    match inkind := data_kind(grid, check_kind="raster"):
         case "grid" | "image":
             outkind = inkind
         case "file":
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ def grdcut(
 
     with Session() as lib:
         with (
-            lib.virtualfile_in(check_kind="raster", data=grid) as vingrd,
+            lib.virtualfile_in(data=grid, kind=inkind) as vingrd,
             lib.virtualfile_out(kind=outkind, fname=outgrid) as voutgrd,
         ):
             kwargs["G"] = voutgrd
diff --git a/pygmt/src/legend.py b/pygmt/src/legend.py
index 2cb2eddcf95..df2636eb108 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/legend.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/legend.py
@@ -89,14 +89,11 @@ def legend(
         if kwargs.get("F") is None:
             kwargs["F"] = box
 
-    kind = data_kind(spec)
-    if kind not in {"empty", "file", "stringio"}:
-        msg = f"Unrecognized data type: {type(spec)}"
-        raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
+    kind = data_kind(spec, check_kind=("empty", "file", "stringio"))
     if kind == "file" and is_nonstr_iter(spec):
         msg = "Only one legend specification file is allowed."
         raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
 
     with Session() as lib:
-        with lib.virtualfile_in(data=spec, required=False) as vintbl:
+        with lib.virtualfile_in(data=spec, required=False, kind=kind) as vintbl:
             lib.call_module(module="legend", args=build_arg_list(kwargs, infile=vintbl))
diff --git a/pygmt/src/meca.py b/pygmt/src/meca.py
index 0b4cbc3f23a..4111be1e162 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/meca.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/meca.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def _preprocess_spec(spec, colnames, override_cols):
         Dictionary of column names and values to override in the input data. Only makes
         sense if ``spec`` is a dict or :class:`pandas.DataFrame`.
     """
-    kind = data_kind(spec)  # Determine the kind of the input data.
+    kind = data_kind(spec, check_kind="vector")  # Determine the kind of the input data.
 
     # Convert pandas.DataFrame and numpy.ndarray to dict.
     if isinstance(spec, pd.DataFrame):
@@ -360,5 +360,5 @@ def meca(  # noqa: PLR0913
         kwargs["A"] = _auto_offset(spec)
     kwargs["S"] = f"{_convention.code}{scale}"
     with Session() as lib:
-        with lib.virtualfile_in(check_kind="vector", data=spec) as vintbl:
+        with lib.virtualfile_in(data=spec) as vintbl:
             lib.call_module(module="meca", args=build_arg_list(kwargs, infile=vintbl))
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot.py b/pygmt/src/plot.py
index 35dab4aa009..5fcaffa6aea 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot.py
@@ -232,8 +232,9 @@ def plot(  # noqa: PLR0912
     # parameter.
     self._activate_figure()
 
-    kind = data_kind(data)
+    kind = data_kind(data, check_kind="vector")
     if kind == "empty":  # Data is given via a series of vectors.
+        kind = "vectors"
         data = {"x": x, "y": y}
         # Parameters for vector styles
         if (
@@ -280,5 +281,5 @@ def plot(  # noqa: PLR0912
         kwargs["S"] = "s0.2c"
 
     with Session() as lib:
-        with lib.virtualfile_in(check_kind="vector", data=data) as vintbl:
+        with lib.virtualfile_in(data=data, kind=kind) as vintbl:
             lib.call_module(module="plot", args=build_arg_list(kwargs, infile=vintbl))
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
index 491ebbcf9df..17028cfba3c 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
@@ -210,8 +210,9 @@ def plot3d(  # noqa: PLR0912
     # parameter.
     self._activate_figure()
 
-    kind = data_kind(data)
+    kind = data_kind(data, check_kind="vector")
     if kind == "empty":  # Data is given via a series of vectors.
+        kind = "vectors"
         data = {"x": x, "y": y, "z": z}
         # Parameters for vector styles
         if (
@@ -259,5 +260,5 @@ def plot3d(  # noqa: PLR0912
         kwargs["S"] = "u0.2c"
 
     with Session() as lib:
-        with lib.virtualfile_in(check_kind="vector", data=data, mincols=3) as vintbl:
+        with lib.virtualfile_in(data=data, mincols=3, kind=kind) as vintbl:
             lib.call_module(module="plot3d", args=build_arg_list(kwargs, infile=vintbl))
diff --git a/pygmt/src/text.py b/pygmt/src/text.py
index 99a3180415a..7a0c490ce75 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/text.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/text.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     w="wrap",
 )
 @kwargs_to_strings(R="sequence", c="sequence_comma", p="sequence")
-def text_(  # noqa: PLR0912
+def text_(  # noqa: PLR0912, PLR0915
     self,
     textfiles: PathLike | TableLike | None = None,
     x=None,
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ def text_(  # noqa: PLR0912
         raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
 
     data_is_required = position is None
-    kind = data_kind(textfiles, required=data_is_required)
+    kind = data_kind(textfiles, required=data_is_required, check_kind="vector")
 
     if position is not None and (text is None or is_nonstr_iter(text)):
         msg = "'text' can't be None or array when 'position' is given."
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ def text_(  # noqa: PLR0912
     confdict = {}
     data = None
     if kind == "empty":
+        kind = "vectors"
         data = {"x": x, "y": y}
 
         for arg, flag, name in array_args:
@@ -262,7 +263,9 @@ def text_(  # noqa: PLR0912
 
     with Session() as lib:
         with lib.virtualfile_in(
-            check_kind="vector", data=textfiles or data, required=data_is_required
+            data=textfiles or data,
+            required=data_is_required,
+            kind=kind,
         ) as vintbl:
             lib.call_module(
                 module="text",
diff --git a/pygmt/src/x2sys_cross.py b/pygmt/src/x2sys_cross.py
index d502d72c190..ff21afd0ac0 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/x2sys_cross.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/x2sys_cross.py
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ def x2sys_cross(
 
     file_contexts: list[contextlib.AbstractContextManager[Any]] = []
     for track in tracks:
-        match data_kind(track):
+        match data_kind(track, check_kind="vector"):
             case "file":
                 file_contexts.append(contextlib.nullcontext(track))
             case "vectors":