diff --git a/docs/src/optimization_packages/multistartoptimization.md b/docs/src/optimization_packages/multistartoptimization.md
index 4f801e64f..15e14625b 100644
--- a/docs/src/optimization_packages/multistartoptimization.md
+++ b/docs/src/optimization_packages/multistartoptimization.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ using Optimization, OptimizationMultistartOptimization, OptimizationNLopt
 rosenbrock(x, p) = (p[1] - x[1])^2 + p[2] * (x[2] - x[1]^2)^2
 x0 = zeros(2)
 p = [1.0, 100.0]
-f = OptimizationFunction(rosenbrock)
+f = OptimizationFunction(rosenbrock, Optimization.AutoForwardDiff())
 prob = Optimization.OptimizationProblem(f, x0, p, lb = [-1.0, -1.0], ub = [1.0, 1.0])
 sol = solve(prob, MultistartOptimization.TikTak(100), NLopt.LD_LBFGS())
 ```
diff --git a/lib/OptimizationNLopt/src/OptimizationNLopt.jl b/lib/OptimizationNLopt/src/OptimizationNLopt.jl
index ee9640024..aae8548e8 100644
--- a/lib/OptimizationNLopt/src/OptimizationNLopt.jl
+++ b/lib/OptimizationNLopt/src/OptimizationNLopt.jl
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ SciMLBase.allowsbounds(opt::Union{NLopt.Algorithm, NLopt.Opt}) = true
     SciMLBase.supports_opt_cache_interface(opt::Union{NLopt.Algorithm, NLopt.Opt}) = true
 end
 @static if isdefined(OptimizationBase, :supports_opt_cache_interface)
-    OptimizationBase.supports_opt_cache_interface(opt::Union{NLopt.Algorithm, NLopt.Opt}) = true
+    OptimizationBase.supports_opt_cache_interface(opt::Union{
+        NLopt.Algorithm, NLopt.Opt}) = true
 end
 
 function SciMLBase.requiresgradient(opt::Union{NLopt.Algorithm, NLopt.Opt})
@@ -70,7 +71,8 @@ function __map_optimizer_args!(cache::OptimizationBase.OptimizationCache, opt::N
         kwargs...)
 
     # Check if AUGLAG algorithm requires local_method
-    if opt.algorithm ∈ (NLopt.LN_AUGLAG, NLopt.LD_AUGLAG, NLopt.AUGLAG) && local_method === nothing
+    if opt.algorithm ∈ (NLopt.LN_AUGLAG, NLopt.LD_AUGLAG, NLopt.AUGLAG) &&
+       local_method === nothing
         error("NLopt.$(opt.algorithm) requires a local optimization method. " *
               "Please specify a local_method, e.g., solve(prob, NLopt.$(opt.algorithm)(); " *
               "local_method = NLopt.LN_NELDERMEAD())")
@@ -167,6 +169,15 @@ function SciMLBase.__solve(cache::OptimizationBase.OptimizationCache{
 }
     local x
 
+    # Check if algorithm requires gradients but none are provided
+    opt = cache.opt isa NLopt.Opt ? cache.opt.algorithm : cache.opt
+    if SciMLBase.requiresgradient(opt) && isnothing(cache.f.grad)
+        throw(OptimizationBase.IncompatibleOptimizerError(
+            "The NLopt algorithm $(opt) requires gradients, but no gradient function is available. " *
+            "Please use `OptimizationFunction` with an automatic differentiation backend, " *
+            "e.g., `OptimizationFunction(f, AutoForwardDiff())`, or provide gradients manually via the `grad` kwarg."))
+    end
+
     _loss = function (θ)
         x = cache.f(θ, cache.p)
         opt_state = OptimizationBase.OptimizationState(u = θ, p = cache.p, objective = x[1])
diff --git a/lib/OptimizationNLopt/test/runtests.jl b/lib/OptimizationNLopt/test/runtests.jl
index 12d86b21d..8517849e6 100644
--- a/lib/OptimizationNLopt/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/lib/OptimizationNLopt/test/runtests.jl
@@ -174,4 +174,35 @@ using Test, Random
         @test sol.retcode == ReturnCode.MaxIters
         @test sol.objective < l1
     end
+
+    @testset "gradient-based algorithm without AD backend" begin
+        # Test that gradient-based algorithms throw a helpful error when no AD backend is specified
+        # This reproduces the issue from https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-when-using-multistart-optimization/133174
+        rosenbrock_test(x, p) = (p[1] - x[1])^2 + p[2] * (x[2] - x[1]^2)^2
+        x0_test = zeros(2)
+        p_test = [1.0, 100.0]
+
+        # Create OptimizationFunction WITHOUT specifying an AD backend
+        f_no_ad = OptimizationFunction(rosenbrock_test)
+        prob_no_ad = OptimizationProblem(
+            f_no_ad, x0_test, p_test, lb = [-1.0, -1.0], ub = [1.5, 1.5])
+
+        # Test with LD_LBFGS (gradient-based algorithm) - should throw IncompatibleOptimizerError
+        @test_throws OptimizationBase.IncompatibleOptimizerError solve(prob_no_ad, NLopt.LD_LBFGS())
+
+        # Test with NLopt.Opt interface - should also throw IncompatibleOptimizerError
+        @test_throws OptimizationBase.IncompatibleOptimizerError solve(prob_no_ad, NLopt.Opt(:LD_LBFGS, 2))
+
+        # Test that gradient-free algorithms still work without AD backend
+        sol = solve(prob_no_ad, NLopt.LN_NELDERMEAD())
+        @test sol.retcode == ReturnCode.Success
+
+        # Test that with AD backend, gradient-based algorithms work correctly
+        f_with_ad = OptimizationFunction(rosenbrock_test, OptimizationBase.AutoZygote())
+        prob_with_ad = OptimizationProblem(
+            f_with_ad, x0_test, p_test, lb = [-1.0, -1.0], ub = [1.5, 1.5])
+        sol = solve(prob_with_ad, NLopt.LD_LBFGS())
+        @test sol.retcode == ReturnCode.Success
+        @test sol.objective < 1.0
+    end
 end