diff --git a/R/location_methods.R b/R/location_methods.R
index 6ed8a5bc74..8383f33d67 100644
--- a/R/location_methods.R
+++ b/R/location_methods.R
@@ -61,6 +61,24 @@ add_summary_location_row <- function(
 
   summary_data <- dt_summary_get(data = data)
 
+  # Redundant if #1608 is fixed.
+  msg_no_summary <- c(
+    "!" = "Can't find summary data.",
+    "i" = "Call {.fn summary_rows} before {.fn tab_footnote}/{.fn tab_style}."
+  )
+  if (length(summary_data) == 0) {
+    # Error early if can't find summary data. and try to add
+    cli::cli_abort(msg_no_summary, call = call)
+  } else {
+    # try to identify if only grand summary rows are present
+    # by checking if all grps are grand summary.
+    grps <- unlist(lapply(summary_data, function(x) x$groups))
+
+    if (identical(unique(grps), ":GRAND_SUMMARY:")) {
+      cli::cli_abort(msg_no_summary, call = call)
+    }
+  }
+
   summary_data_summaries <-
     vapply(
       seq(summary_data),
@@ -183,6 +201,24 @@ add_grand_summary_location_row <- function(
   call <- call(class(loc)[[1L]])
   summary_data <- dt_summary_get(data = data)
 
+  # Redundant if #1608 is fixed.
+  msg_no_grand_summary <- c(
+    "!" = "Can't find grand summary data.",
+    "i" = "Call {.fn grand_summary_rows} before {.fn tab_footnote}/{.fn tab_style}."
+  )
+  if (length(summary_data) == 0) {
+    # Error early if can't find summary data. and try to add
+    cli::cli_abort(msg_no_grand_summary, call = call)
+  } else {
+    # try to identify if only summary rows are present
+    # by checking if any grps are grand summary.
+    grps <- unlist(lapply(summary_data, function(x) x$groups))
+
+    if (!":GRAND_SUMMARY:" %in% grps) {
+      cli::cli_abort(msg_no_grand_summary, call = call)
+    }
+  }
+
   id_vals <-
     unique(
       unlist(
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/tab_footnote.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/tab_footnote.md
index 8c655f9a7f..87df9a15f6 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/tab_footnote.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/tab_footnote.md
@@ -1,3 +1,46 @@
+# tab_footnote() + cells_grand_summary_rows() errors well with absent grand summary rows
+
+    Code
+      exibble %>% gt() %>% tab_footnote("foot grand summary",
+        cells_stub_grand_summary())
+    Condition
+      Error in `tab_footnote()`:
+      ! Can't add footnote "foot grand summary".
+      Caused by error in `cells_stub_grand_summary()`:
+      ! Can't find grand summary data.
+      i Call `grand_summary_rows()` before `tab_footnote()`/`tab_style()`.
+    Code
+      exibble %>% gt(groupname_col = "group") %>% summary_rows(columns = tidyselect::where(
+        is.numeric), fns = "sum") %>% tab_footnote("foot grand summary",
+        cells_grand_summary())
+    Condition
+      Error in `tab_footnote()`:
+      ! Can't add footnote "foot grand summary".
+      Caused by error in `cells_grand_summary()`:
+      ! Can't find grand summary data.
+      i Call `grand_summary_rows()` before `tab_footnote()`/`tab_style()`.
+
+# tab_footnote() + cells_summary() errors well with absent summary rows
+
+    Code
+      exibble %>% gt(groupname_col = "group") %>% tab_footnote("foot summary",
+        cells_summary())
+    Condition
+      Error in `tab_footnote()`:
+      ! Can't add footnote "foot summary".
+      Caused by error in `cells_summary()`:
+      ! Can't find summary data.
+      i Call `summary_rows()` before `tab_footnote()`/`tab_style()`.
+    Code
+      exibble %>% gt(groupname_col = "group") %>% grand_summary_rows(columns = tidyselect::where(
+        is.numeric), fns = "sum") %>% tab_footnote("foot summary", cells_stub_summary())
+    Condition
+      Error in `tab_footnote()`:
+      ! Can't add footnote "foot summary".
+      Caused by error in `cells_stub_summary()`:
+      ! Can't find summary data.
+      i Call `summary_rows()` before `tab_footnote()`/`tab_style()`.
+
 # Footnotes with no location are rendered correctly
 
     Code
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-tab_footnote.R b/tests/testthat/test-tab_footnote.R
index ebcaf81ae6..7ea8fcb52e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-tab_footnote.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-tab_footnote.R
@@ -261,6 +261,38 @@ test_that("tab_footnote() works for summary location", {
   )
 })
 
+test_that("tab_footnote() + cells_grand_summary_rows() errors well with absent grand summary rows", {
+
+  # Error well if grand summary is not initialized
+  expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, {
+    # error well if no grand summary exists.
+    exibble %>%
+      gt() %>%
+      tab_footnote("foot grand summary", cells_stub_grand_summary())
+
+    # Error well if a summary is present.
+    exibble %>%
+      gt(groupname_col = "group") %>%
+      summary_rows(columns = tidyselect::where(is.numeric), fns = "sum") %>%
+      tab_footnote("foot grand summary", cells_grand_summary())
+  })
+})
+
+test_that("tab_footnote() + cells_summary() errors well with absent summary rows", {
+  # Error well if summary is not initialized
+  expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, {
+    # error well if no grand summary exists.
+    exibble %>%
+      gt(groupname_col = "group") %>%
+      tab_footnote("foot summary", cells_summary())
+
+    # Error well if a summary is present.
+    exibble %>%
+      gt(groupname_col = "group") %>%
+      grand_summary_rows(columns = tidyselect::where(is.numeric), fns = "sum") %>%
+      tab_footnote("foot summary", cells_stub_summary())
+  })
+
 test_that("tab_footnote() adds footnote marks for in the summary stub (#1832)", {
   # Apply a footnote to the grand summary stub cells.
   tab1 <-