diff --git a/src/gtk/window.cpp b/src/gtk/window.cpp
index ad3161a7d5..e66e9b1b9c 100644
--- a/src/gtk/window.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/window.cpp
@@ -4267,6 +4267,7 @@ void wxWindowGTK::ScrollWindow( int dx, int dy, const wxRect* WXUNUSED(rect) )
 
     m_clipPaintRegion = FALSE;
 #else
+    wxCHECK_RET( GTK_PIZZA(m_wxwindow)->bin_window != NULL, wxT("window needs client area for scrolling") );
 
     gdk_window_scroll( GTK_PIZZA(m_wxwindow)->bin_window, dx, dy );
 
diff --git a/src/gtk1/window.cpp b/src/gtk1/window.cpp
index ad3161a7d5..e66e9b1b9c 100644
--- a/src/gtk1/window.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk1/window.cpp
@@ -4267,6 +4267,7 @@ void wxWindowGTK::ScrollWindow( int dx, int dy, const wxRect* WXUNUSED(rect) )
 
     m_clipPaintRegion = FALSE;
 #else
+    wxCHECK_RET( GTK_PIZZA(m_wxwindow)->bin_window != NULL, wxT("window needs client area for scrolling") );
 
     gdk_window_scroll( GTK_PIZZA(m_wxwindow)->bin_window, dx, dy );