diff --git a/src/gui/layertree/qgslayertreeview.cpp b/src/gui/layertree/qgslayertreeview.cpp
index c39ab91eede3..65db2a91268c 100644
--- a/src/gui/layertree/qgslayertreeview.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/layertree/qgslayertreeview.cpp
@@ -406,7 +406,10 @@ QgsMapLayer *QgsLayerTreeView::layerForIndex( const QModelIndex &index ) const
 
 QgsLayerTreeNode *QgsLayerTreeView::currentNode() const
 {
-  return index2node( selectionModel()->currentIndex() );
+  if ( QItemSelectionModel *selectModel = selectionModel() )
+    return index2node( selectModel->currentIndex() );
+  else
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 QgsLayerTreeGroup *QgsLayerTreeView::currentGroupNode() const
@@ -421,11 +424,14 @@ QgsLayerTreeGroup *QgsLayerTreeView::currentGroupNode() const
       return QgsLayerTree::toGroup( parent );
   }
 
-  if ( QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *legendNode = index2legendNode( selectionModel()->currentIndex() ) )
+  if ( QItemSelectionModel *selectModel = selectionModel() )
   {
-    QgsLayerTreeLayer *parent = legendNode->layerNode();
-    if ( QgsLayerTree::isGroup( parent->parent() ) )
-      return QgsLayerTree::toGroup( parent->parent() );
+    if ( QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *legendNode = index2legendNode( selectModel->currentIndex() ) )
+    {
+      QgsLayerTreeLayer *parent = legendNode->layerNode();
+      if ( QgsLayerTree::isGroup( parent->parent() ) )
+        return QgsLayerTree::toGroup( parent->parent() );
+    }
   }
 
   return nullptr;
@@ -433,16 +439,22 @@ QgsLayerTreeGroup *QgsLayerTreeView::currentGroupNode() const
 
 QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *QgsLayerTreeView::currentLegendNode() const
 {
-  return index2legendNode( selectionModel()->currentIndex() );
+  if ( QItemSelectionModel *selectModel = selectionModel() )
+    return index2legendNode( selectModel->currentIndex() );
+  else
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 QList<QgsLayerTreeNode *> QgsLayerTreeView::selectedNodes( bool skipInternal ) const
 {
   QModelIndexList mapped;
-  const QModelIndexList selected = selectionModel()->selectedIndexes();
-  mapped.reserve( selected.size() );
-  for ( const QModelIndex &index : selected )
-    mapped << mProxyModel->mapToSource( index );
+  if ( QItemSelectionModel *selectModel = selectionModel() )
+  {
+    const QModelIndexList selected = selectModel->selectedIndexes();
+    mapped.reserve( selected.size() );
+    for ( const QModelIndex &index : selected )
+      mapped << mProxyModel->mapToSource( index );
+  }
 
   return layerTreeModel()->indexes2nodes( mapped, skipInternal );
 }
@@ -476,14 +488,18 @@ QList<QgsMapLayer *> QgsLayerTreeView::selectedLayers() const
 QList<QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *> QgsLayerTreeView::selectedLegendNodes() const
 {
   QList<QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *> res;
-  const QModelIndexList selected = selectionModel()->selectedIndexes();
-  res.reserve( selected.size() );
-  for ( const QModelIndex &index : selected )
+
+  if ( QItemSelectionModel *selectModel = selectionModel() )
   {
-    const QModelIndex &modelIndex = mProxyModel->mapToSource( index );
-    if ( QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *node = layerTreeModel()->index2legendNode( modelIndex ) )
+    const QModelIndexList selected = selectModel->selectedIndexes();
+    res.reserve( selected.size() );
+    for ( const QModelIndex &index : selected )
     {
-      res.push_back( node );
+      const QModelIndex &modelIndex = mProxyModel->mapToSource( index );
+      if ( QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *node = layerTreeModel()->index2legendNode( modelIndex ) )
+      {
+        res.push_back( node );
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -493,10 +509,15 @@ QList<QgsLayerTreeModelLegendNode *> QgsLayerTreeView::selectedLegendNodes() con
 QList<QgsMapLayer *> QgsLayerTreeView::selectedLayersRecursive() const
 {
   QModelIndexList mapped;
-  const QModelIndexList selected = selectionModel()->selectedIndexes();
-  mapped.reserve( selected.size() );
-  for ( const QModelIndex &index : selected )
-    mapped << mProxyModel->mapToSource( index );
+  if ( QItemSelectionModel *selectModel = selectionModel() )
+  {
+    const QModelIndexList selected = selectModel->selectedIndexes();
+    mapped.reserve( selected.size() );
+    for ( const QModelIndex &index : selected )
+      mapped << mProxyModel->mapToSource( index );
+  }
+  else
+    return QList<QgsMapLayer *>();
 
   const QList<QgsLayerTreeNode *> nodes = layerTreeModel()->indexes2nodes( mapped, false );
   const QSet<QgsMapLayer *> layersSet = QgsLayerTreeUtils::collectMapLayersRecursive( nodes );
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgslayertreeview.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgslayertreeview.py
index 8d02dc56d710..e1aea15d7a51 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgslayertreeview.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgslayertreeview.py
@@ -705,6 +705,16 @@ def test_selected_legend_nodes(self):
         model = QgsLayerTreeModel(root)
         layer_tree_layer = root.addLayer(layer)
         view = QgsLayerTreeView()
+
+        self.assertEqual(view.selectedNodes(), [])
+        self.assertEqual(view.selectedLegendNodes(), [])
+        self.assertEqual(view.selectedLayersRecursive(), [])
+        self.assertEqual(view.selectedLayerNodes(), [])
+        # self.assertEqual(view.selectedLayers(), [])
+        # self.assertIsNone(view.currentNode())
+        # self.assertIsNone(view.currentLegendNode())
+        # self.assertIsNone(view.currentGroupNode())
+
         view.setModel(model)
 
         legend_nodes = model.layerLegendNodes(layer_tree_layer)