diff --git a/packages/calcite-components/src/components/chip-group/chip-group.tsx b/packages/calcite-components/src/components/chip-group/chip-group.tsx
index e410dac0b67..357b3f73ad0 100644
--- a/packages/calcite-components/src/components/chip-group/chip-group.tsx
+++ b/packages/calcite-components/src/components/chip-group/chip-group.tsx
@@ -197,10 +197,10 @@ export class ChipGroup implements InteractiveComponent {
   private updateItems = (event?: Event): void => {
     const target = event ? (event.target as HTMLSlotElement) : this.slotRefEl;
     this.items = target
-      .assignedElements({ flatten: true })
+      ?.assignedElements({ flatten: true })
       .filter((el) => el?.matches("calcite-chip")) as HTMLCalciteChipElement[];
 
-    this.items.forEach((el) => {
+    this.items?.forEach((el) => {
       el.interactive = true;
       el.scale = this.scale;
       el.selectionMode = this.selectionMode;