diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModel.kt
index 0538b48e52c4..6acdc1d6bfcf 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModel.kt
@@ -509,7 +509,8 @@ class BrowserViewModel @Inject constructor(
     ) {
         val duckAiFullScreenMode = duckAiFeatureState.showFullScreenMode.value
         logcat(INFO) { "Duck.ai openDuckChat duckChatSessionActive $duckChatSessionActive" }
-        sendCommand(OpenDuckChat(duckChatUrl, duckChatSessionActive, withTransition, tabs.value.size, duckAiFullScreenMode))
+        val tabsCount = tabs.value?.size ?: 0
+        sendCommand(OpenDuckChat(duckChatUrl, duckChatSessionActive, withTransition, tabsCount, duckAiFullScreenMode))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModelTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModelTest.kt
index 96a2ecb762d9..017e74b2db46 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModelTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserViewModelTest.kt
@@ -612,6 +612,39 @@ class BrowserViewModelTest {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `when openDuckChat called and tabs are null then command is sent with 0 tabs`() = runTest {
+        doReturn(MutableLiveData(null)).whenever(mockTabRepository).liveTabs
+        initTestee()
+
+        testee.openDuckChat(duckChatUrl = "duck://chat", duckChatSessionActive = false, withTransition = false)
+
+        testee.commands.test {
+            val command = awaitItem()
+            assertTrue(command is Command.OpenDuckChat)
+            command as Command.OpenDuckChat
+            assertEquals(0, command.tabs)
+            cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `when openDuckChat called then command is sent with correct tab count`() = runTest {
+        val tabs = listOf(TabEntity("1", "", "", position = 0))
+        doReturn(MutableLiveData(tabs)).whenever(mockTabRepository).liveTabs
+        initTestee()
+
+        testee.openDuckChat(duckChatUrl = "duck://chat", duckChatSessionActive = false, withTransition = false)
+
+        testee.commands.test {
+            val command = awaitItem()
+            assertTrue(command is Command.OpenDuckChat)
+            command as Command.OpenDuckChat
+            assertEquals(tabs.size, command.tabs)
+            cancelAndIgnoreRemainingEvents()
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun initTestee() {
         testee = BrowserViewModel(
             tabRepository = mockTabRepository,