diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview-new/VirtualTrees.pas b/components/virtualtreeview-new/VirtualTrees.pas
index 17d230280..ca4321fd2 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview-new/VirtualTrees.pas
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview-new/VirtualTrees.pas
@@ -28496,7 +28496,7 @@ var
   R: TRect;
 
 begin
-  if (FUpdateCount = 0) and FHeader.FColumns.IsValidColumn(Column) then
+  if (FUpdateCount = 0) and HandleAllocated and FHeader.FColumns.IsValidColumn(Column) then
   begin
     R := ClientRect;
     //lclheader