diff --git a/app/common/state/tabState.js b/app/common/state/tabState.js
index 73ba0e78c5e..8221170444e 100644
--- a/app/common/state/tabState.js
+++ b/app/common/state/tabState.js
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ const api = {
     state = makeImmutable(state)
 
     let tabs = state.get('tabs')
+    if (!tabs) {
+      return state
+    }
     for (let i = 0; i < tabs.size; i++) {
       tabs = tabs.deleteIn([i, field])
     }
diff --git a/test/unit/app/common/state/tabStateTest.js b/test/unit/app/common/state/tabStateTest.js
index 6f0f4480e89..5b00b776fd2 100644
--- a/test/unit/app/common/state/tabStateTest.js
+++ b/test/unit/app/common/state/tabStateTest.js
@@ -483,6 +483,11 @@ describe('tabState unit tests', function () {
       const expectedAppState = defaultAppState.set('tabs', tabsWithoutField)
       assert.deepEqual(newAppState, expectedAppState)
     })
+    it('returns the state (unchanged) if tabs is falsey', function () {
+      const emptyTabState = defaultAppState.delete('tabs')
+      const newAppState = tabState.removeTabField(emptyTabState, 'loginRequiredDetail')
+      assert.equal(newAppState, emptyTabState)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('getPersistentState', function () {