diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcUtil.cpp b/src/ifcparse/IfcUtil.cpp
index 57008fe260..41289752d0 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcUtil.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcUtil.cpp
@@ -231,6 +231,9 @@ AttributeValue IfcUtil::IfcBaseEntity::get(const std::string& name) const
 }
 
 aggregate_of_instance::ptr IfcUtil::IfcBaseEntity::get_inverse(const std::string& name) const {
+    if (file_ == nullptr) {
+        throw IfcParse::IfcException("Instance not added to file");
+    }
     const std::vector<const IfcParse::inverse_attribute*> attrs = declaration().as_entity()->all_inverse_attributes();
     std::vector<const IfcParse::inverse_attribute*>::const_iterator iter = attrs.begin();
     for (; iter != attrs.end(); ++iter) {