diff --git a/src/Controls/src/Core/Handlers/Shell/Windows/ShellView.cs b/src/Controls/src/Core/Handlers/Shell/Windows/ShellView.cs
index eb6f4284e626..5bf6ab47fa0d 100644
--- a/src/Controls/src/Core/Handlers/Shell/Windows/ShellView.cs
+++ b/src/Controls/src/Core/Handlers/Shell/Windows/ShellView.cs
@@ -193,6 +193,12 @@ public override bool Equals(object obj) =>
 
 		internal void SwitchShellItem(ShellItem newItem, bool animate = true)
 		{
+			if (newItem is null)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException("Active Shell Item not set. Have you added any Shell Items to your Shell?");
+
+			if (newItem.CurrentItem is null)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException($"Content not found for active {newItem}. Title: {newItem.Title}. Route: {newItem.Route}.");
+
 			var navItems = FlyoutItems.OfType<NavigationViewItemViewModel>();
 
 			// Implicit items aren't items that are surfaced to the user 
diff --git a/src/Controls/tests/DeviceTests/Elements/Shell/ShellTests.Windows.cs b/src/Controls/tests/DeviceTests/Elements/Shell/ShellTests.Windows.cs
index b1932396b75a..505b9deec3c9 100644
--- a/src/Controls/tests/DeviceTests/Elements/Shell/ShellTests.Windows.cs
+++ b/src/Controls/tests/DeviceTests/Elements/Shell/ShellTests.Windows.cs
@@ -819,5 +819,21 @@ AnimatedIcon GetNativeAnimatedIcon(ShellHandler shellHandler)
 
 			return animatedIcon;
 		}
+
+		[Fact(DisplayName = "Initialize Empty Shell Throws InvalidOperationException")]
+		public async Task InitializeEmptyShellThrowsInvalidOperationException()
+		{
+			SetupBuilder();
+
+			var shell = new Shell();
+
+			await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(async () =>
+			{
+				await CreateHandlerAndAddToWindow<ShellHandler>(shell, (handler) =>
+				{
+					return Task.CompletedTask;
+				});
+			});
+		}
 	}
 }