diff --git a/.changeset/short-squids-battle.md b/.changeset/short-squids-battle.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9ccf73d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/short-squids-battle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@clack/prompts": patch
+---
+
+Handle `stop` calls on spinners which have not yet been started.
diff --git a/packages/prompts/src/spinner.ts b/packages/prompts/src/spinner.ts
index 2a9cfd63..7b4c8cec 100644
--- a/packages/prompts/src/spinner.ts
+++ b/packages/prompts/src/spinner.ts
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ export const spinner = ({
 	};
 
 	const stop = (msg = '', code = 0): void => {
+		if (!isSpinnerActive) return;
 		isSpinnerActive = false;
 		clearInterval(loop);
 		clearPrevMessage();
diff --git a/packages/prompts/test/spinner.test.ts b/packages/prompts/test/spinner.test.ts
index b3ba9f06..3db54cde 100644
--- a/packages/prompts/test/spinner.test.ts
+++ b/packages/prompts/test/spinner.test.ts
@@ -163,6 +163,12 @@ describe.each(['true', 'false'])('spinner (isCI = %s)', (isCI) => {
 
 			expect(output.buffer).toMatchSnapshot();
 		});
+
+		test('does not throw if called before start', () => {
+			const result = prompts.spinner({ output });
+
+			expect(() => result.stop()).not.toThrow();
+		});
 	});
 
 	describe('message', () => {