diff --git a/components/virtualtreeview/VirtualTrees.pas b/components/virtualtreeview/VirtualTrees.pas
index bb888395db..5fd1152522 100644
--- a/components/virtualtreeview/VirtualTrees.pas
+++ b/components/virtualtreeview/VirtualTrees.pas
@@ -25604,7 +25604,7 @@ procedure TBaseVirtualTree.AutoScale();
 var
   lTextHeight: Cardinal;
 begin
-  if (toAutoChangeScale in TreeOptions.AutoOptions) then
+  if (toAutoChangeScale in TreeOptions.AutoOptions) and HandleAllocated then
   begin
     Canvas.Font.Assign(Self.Font);
     lTextHeight := Canvas.TextHeight('Tg');