diff --git a/src/pmc/p6invocation.pmc b/src/pmc/p6invocation.pmc
index 6fcfa434ba3..548fbc526bd 100644
--- a/src/pmc/p6invocation.pmc
+++ b/src/pmc/p6invocation.pmc
@@ -220,6 +220,8 @@ pmclass P6Invocation need_ext dynpmc group perl6_group {
             SETATTR_P6Invocation_first_candidate(interp, SELF, PMCNULL);
 
         /* Invoke it, then fudge ourself into its lexpad. */
+        if (PMC_IS_NULL(first_candidate))
+            Parrot_ex_throw_from_c_args(interp, next, 1, "No candidates found to invoke");
         addr = VTABLE_invoke(interp, first_candidate, next);
         lexpad = CONTEXT(interp)->lex_pad;
         if (!PMC_IS_NULL(lexpad) && VTABLE_exists_keyed_str(interp, lexpad, lexname))