diff --git a/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/model.ts b/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/model.ts
index 609117adeb..3337b62cb8 100644
--- a/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/model.ts
+++ b/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/model.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ export class Model implements ModelInterface {
     const {gltf, threeGLTF, gltfElementMap} = correlatedSceneGraph;
     this[$threeScene] = threeGLTF.scene;
 
-    for (const [i, material] of gltf.materials!.entries()) {
+    for (const [i, material] of gltf.materials?.entries() ?? []) {
       const correlatedMaterial =
           gltfElementMap.get(material) as Set<MeshStandardMaterial>;
 
diff --git a/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node.ts b/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node.ts
index b50c351625..7e1eda2eee 100644
--- a/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node.ts
+++ b/packages/model-viewer/src/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node.ts
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@ export class PrimitiveNode extends Node {
     // Captures the primitive's initial material.
     const materialMappings =
         threeObjectMap.get(mesh.material as ThreeMaterial)!;
-    if (materialMappings.materials != null) {
+    if (materialMappings?.materials != null) {
       this[$initialMaterialIdx] = this[$activeMaterialIdx] =
           materialMappings.materials;
     } else {
-      console.error(
+      console.warn(
           `Primitive (${mesh.name}) missing initial material reference.`);
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/model-spec.ts b/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/model-spec.ts
index 47ec98a140..c8f63ff7d0 100644
--- a/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/model-spec.ts
+++ b/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/model-spec.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const ASTRONAUT_GLB_PATH = assetPath('models/Astronaut.glb');
 const KHRONOS_TRIANGLE_GLB_PATH =
     assetPath('models/glTF-Sample-Models/2.0/Triangle/glTF/Triangle.gltf');
 const CUBES_GLTF_PATH = assetPath('models/cubes.gltf');
+const VASE_NO_MATERIALS_GLB_PATH = assetPath('models/VaseNoMaterials.glb');
 
 suite('scene-graph/model', () => {
   suite('Model', () => {
@@ -82,6 +83,13 @@ suite('scene-graph/model', () => {
       expect(collectedMaterials.size).to.be.equal(materials.size);
     });
 
+    test('should have no materials given a model without any materials defined', async () => {
+      const threeGLTF = await loadThreeGLTF(VASE_NO_MATERIALS_GLB_PATH);
+      const model = new Model(CorrelatedSceneGraph.from(threeGLTF));
+
+      expect(model.materials.length).to.be.eq(0);
+    });
+
     suite('Model Variants', () => {
       test('Switch variant and lazy load', async () => {
         const threeGLTF = await loadThreeGLTF(CUBES_GLTF_PATH);
diff --git a/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node-spec.ts b/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node-spec.ts
index 34b2ae245e..431126ebcc 100644
--- a/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node-spec.ts
+++ b/packages/model-viewer/src/test/features/scene-graph/nodes/primitive-node-spec.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const CUBE_GLTF_PATH = assetPath('models/cube.gltf');
 const MESH_PRIMITIVES_GLB_PATH = assetPath('models/MeshPrimitivesVariants.glb');
 const KHRONOS_TRIANGLE_GLB_PATH =
     assetPath('models/glTF-Sample-Models/2.0/Triangle/glTF/Triangle.gltf');
+const VASE_NO_MATERIALS_GLB_PATH = assetPath('models/VaseNoMaterials.glb');
 
 const findPrimitivesWithVariant = (model: Model, variantName: string) => {
   const result = new Array<any>();
@@ -69,6 +70,29 @@ suite('scene-graph/model/mesh-primitives', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  suite('Primitive with no material', () => {
+    let element: ModelViewerElement;
+    setup(async () => {
+      element = new ModelViewerElement();
+      element.src = VASE_NO_MATERIALS_GLB_PATH;
+      document.body.insertBefore(element, document.body.firstChild);
+      await waitForEvent(element, 'load');
+    });
+
+    teardown(() => {
+      document.body.removeChild(element);
+    });
+
+    test('has a no material', async () => {
+      const model = element.model!;
+
+      expect(model[$primitivesList].length).to.equal(1);
+      expect(model.materials.length).to.equal(0);
+      expect(model[$primitivesList][0][$initialMaterialIdx]).to.be.undefined;
+      expect(model.materials[0]).to.be.undefined;
+    });
+  });
+
   suite('Static Primitive Without Variant', () => {
     let model: Model;
     setup(async () => {
diff --git a/packages/shared-assets/models/VaseNoMaterials.glb b/packages/shared-assets/models/VaseNoMaterials.glb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..93dbf27cd9
Binary files /dev/null and b/packages/shared-assets/models/VaseNoMaterials.glb differ
diff --git a/packages/space-opera/src/components/materials_panel/materials_panel.ts b/packages/space-opera/src/components/materials_panel/materials_panel.ts
index 4e23d9dd36..56c920c55f 100644
--- a/packages/space-opera/src/components/materials_panel/materials_panel.ts
+++ b/packages/space-opera/src/components/materials_panel/materials_panel.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export class MaterialPanel extends ConnectedLitElement {
   @internalProperty() isInterpolating: boolean = false;
 
   @query('#material-container') panel!: HTMLDivElement;
+  @query('#material-placeholder') placeholder!: HTMLDivElement;
   @query('me-color-picker#base-color-picker') baseColorPicker!: ColorPicker;
   @query('me-slider-with-input#roughness-factor')
   roughnessFactorSlider!: SliderWithInputElement;
@@ -525,10 +526,18 @@ export class MaterialPanel extends ConnectedLitElement {
   }
 
   get selectedMaterialIndex(): number {
-    return this.selectableMaterials[this.materialSelector.selectedIndex].index;
+    if (!this.materialSelector) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    return this.selectableMaterials[this.materialSelector.selectedIndex]?.index ?? 0;
   }
 
   set selectedMaterialIndex(index: number) {
+    if (!this.materialSelector) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     this.materialSelector.selectedIndex = index;
     this.onSelectMaterial();
   }
@@ -1099,6 +1108,10 @@ export class MaterialPanel extends ConnectedLitElement {
     `;
   }
 
+  get hasSelectableMaterials(): boolean {
+    return this.selectableMaterials?.length > 0;
+  }
+
   updateSelectableMaterials() {
     this.selectableMaterials = [];
     for (const material of getModelViewer()!.model!.materials) {
@@ -1125,7 +1138,11 @@ export class MaterialPanel extends ConnectedLitElement {
 
   render() {
     return html`
-    <div id="material-container" style="display: none">
+    <div>
+    <div id="material-placeholder" style="display: ${!this.hasSelectableMaterials ? 'block' : 'none'}">
+      <pre>No materials</pre>
+    </div>  
+    <div id="material-container" style="display: ${this.hasSelectableMaterials ? 'block' : 'none'}">
     ${this.renderVariantsTab()}
     ${this.renderEditVariantDialog()}
     ${this.renderCreateVariantDialog()}
@@ -1138,6 +1155,7 @@ export class MaterialPanel extends ConnectedLitElement {
     ${this.renderOcclusionTextureTab()}
     ${this.renderOtherTab()}
     </div>
+    </div>
     `;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/space-opera/src/test/materials_panel/materials_panel_test.ts b/packages/space-opera/src/test/materials_panel/materials_panel_test.ts
index e4db03a131..43279fa115 100644
--- a/packages/space-opera/src/test/materials_panel/materials_panel_test.ts
+++ b/packages/space-opera/src/test/materials_panel/materials_panel_test.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {waitForEvent} from '../utils/test_utils.js';
 const TEXTURE_CUBE_GLTF_PATH = '../base/shared-assets/models/textureCubes.gltf';
 const CUBES_GLTF_PATH = '../base/shared-assets/models/cubes.gltf';
 const TRIANGLE_GLTF_PATH = '../base/shared-assets/models/Triangle.gltf';
+const VASE_NO_MATERIALS_GLB_PATH = '../base/shared-assets/models/VaseNoMaterials.glb';
 const TEXTURE_PATH = 'base/shared-assets/models/ORM.png';
 
 async function checkUpload(
@@ -75,20 +76,38 @@ describe('material panel test', () => {
     document.body.removeChild(preview);
   });
 
-  it('selector reflects materials in GLTF, including defaults where undefined',
-     async () => {
-       panel.selectedMaterialIndex = 0;
-       await panel.updateComplete;
-       expect(panel.selectedBaseColor).toEqual([1, 0, 1, 1]);
-       expect(panel.selectedRoughnessFactor).toEqual(0.2);
-       expect(panel.selectedMetallicFactor).toEqual(1);
+  describe('Given a model without any materials', () => {
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      reduxStore.dispatch(dispatchGltfUrl(VASE_NO_MATERIALS_GLB_PATH));
+      await preview.loadComplete;
+      await panel.updateComplete;
+    });
 
-       panel.selectedMaterialIndex = 1;
-       await panel.updateComplete;
-       expect(panel.selectedBaseColor).toEqual([1, 1, 0, 1]);
-       expect(panel.selectedRoughnessFactor).toEqual(1);
-       expect(panel.selectedMetallicFactor).toEqual(1);
-     });
+    it('should display a placeholder',  () => {
+      const placeholder = panel.shadowRoot?.getElementById('material-placeholder');
+      expect(placeholder!.style.display).not.toEqual('none');
+    });
+
+    it('should not show the material panel', () => {
+      const form = panel.shadowRoot?.getElementById('material-container');
+      expect(form!.style.display).toEqual('none');
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('selector reflects materials in GLTF, including defaults where undefined',
+   async () => {
+     panel.selectedMaterialIndex = 0;
+     await panel.updateComplete;
+     expect(panel.selectedBaseColor).toEqual([1, 0, 1, 1]);
+     expect(panel.selectedRoughnessFactor).toEqual(0.2);
+     expect(panel.selectedMetallicFactor).toEqual(1);
+
+     panel.selectedMaterialIndex = 1;
+     await panel.updateComplete;
+     expect(panel.selectedBaseColor).toEqual([1, 1, 0, 1]);
+     expect(panel.selectedRoughnessFactor).toEqual(1);
+     expect(panel.selectedMetallicFactor).toEqual(1);
+   });
 
   it('Model with variants has visible variant selector', async () => {
     reduxStore.dispatch(dispatchGltfUrl(CUBES_GLTF_PATH));