diff --git a/libpldmresponder/platform_state_sensor.hpp b/libpldmresponder/platform_state_sensor.hpp
index de5b14d..b57a58c 100644
--- a/libpldmresponder/platform_state_sensor.hpp
+++ b/libpldmresponder/platform_state_sensor.hpp
@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@
 
     std::unique_ptr<pldm_pdr, decltype(&pldm_pdr_destroy)> stateSensorPdrRepo(
         pldm_pdr_init(), pldm_pdr_destroy);
+    if (!stateSensorPdrRepo)
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error(
+            "Failed to instantiate state sensor PDR repository");
+    }
     pldm::responder::pdr_utils::Repo stateSensorPDRs(stateSensorPdrRepo.get());
     getRepoByType(handler.getRepo(), stateSensorPDRs, PLDM_STATE_SENSOR_PDR);
     if (stateSensorPDRs.empty())