diff --git a/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp b/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp
index e28af630ce5..67d77d48dbd 100644
--- a/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp
+++ b/scene/gui/popup_menu.cpp
@@ -1812,6 +1812,7 @@ void PopupMenu::scroll_to_item(int p_idx) {
 }
 
 bool PopupMenu::activate_item_by_event(const Ref<InputEvent> &p_event, bool p_for_global_only) {
+	ERR_FAIL_COND_V(p_event.is_null(), false);
 	Key code = Key::NONE;
 	Ref<InputEventKey> k = p_event;