diff --git a/libpldmresponder/platform_state_effecter.hpp b/libpldmresponder/platform_state_effecter.hpp
index cfcd539..db70128 100644
--- a/libpldmresponder/platform_state_effecter.hpp
+++ b/libpldmresponder/platform_state_effecter.hpp
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
 
     std::unique_ptr<pldm_pdr, decltype(&pldm_pdr_destroy)> stateEffecterPdrRepo(
         pldm_pdr_init(), pldm_pdr_destroy);
+    if (!stateEffecterPdrRepo)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            "Failed to instantiate state effecter PDR repository");
+    }
     pldm::responder::pdr_utils::Repo stateEffecterPDRs(
         stateEffecterPdrRepo.get());
     getRepoByType(handler.getRepo(), stateEffecterPDRs,