diff --git a/packages/headless/src/app/commerce-ssr-engine/types/common.ts b/packages/headless/src/app/commerce-ssr-engine/types/common.ts
index a100710f020..4141b381521 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/app/commerce-ssr-engine/types/common.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/app/commerce-ssr-engine/types/common.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export interface ControllerDefinitionWithProps<
    */
   buildWithProps(
     engine: SSRCommerceEngine,
-    props: TProps,
+    props?: TProps,
     solutionType?: SolutionType
   ): TController & ControllerWithKind;
 }
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/app/ssr-engine/types/common.ts b/packages/headless/src/app/ssr-engine/types/common.ts
index 0a0d9eb757b..bfcd2327bce 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/app/ssr-engine/types/common.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/app/ssr-engine/types/common.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ export interface ControllerDefinitionWithProps<
    * @param props - The controller properties.
    * @returns The controller.
    */
-  buildWithProps(engine: TEngine, props: TProps): TController;
+  buildWithProps(engine: TEngine, props?: TProps): TController;
 }
 
 export type ControllerDefinition<
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/cart/headless-cart.ssr.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/cart/headless-cart.ssr.ts
index e65140c7739..46e661cb182 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/cart/headless-cart.ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/cart/headless-cart.ssr.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   createControllerWithKind,
   Kind,
 } from '../../../../app/commerce-ssr-engine/types/kind.js';
+import {MissingControllerProps} from '../../../../utils/errors.js';
 import {Cart, buildCart, CartInitialState} from './headless-cart.js';
 
 export type {CartState, CartItem, CartProps} from './headless-cart.js';
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ export function defineCart(): CartDefinition {
     standalone: true,
     recommendation: true,
     buildWithProps: (engine, props) => {
+      if (props === undefined) {
+        throw new MissingControllerProps(Kind.Cart);
+      }
       const controller = buildCart(engine, {initialState: props.initialState});
       return createControllerWithKind(controller, Kind.Cart);
     },
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..99f97514e4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import {SSRCommerceEngine} from '../../../app/commerce-ssr-engine/factories/build-factory.js';
+import {buildMockCommerceState} from '../../../test/mock-commerce-state.js';
+import {buildMockSSRCommerceEngine} from '../../../test/mock-engine-v2.js';
+import {MissingControllerProps} from '../../../utils/errors.js';
+import {buildContext, ContextOptions, Context} from './headless-context.js';
+import {ContextDefinition, defineContext} from './headless-context.ssr.js';
+
+vi.mock('./headless-context');
+const buildContextMock = vi.mocked(buildContext);
+
+describe('define commerce context', () => {
+  const options: ContextOptions = {
+    language: 'en',
+    country: 'us',
+    currency: 'USD',
+    view: {
+      url: 'https://example.org',
+    },
+  };
+  let contextDefinition: ContextDefinition;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    buildContextMock.mockReturnValue({} as Context);
+    contextDefinition = defineContext();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    buildContextMock.mockClear();
+  });
+
+  it('defineContext returns the proper type', () => {
+    expect(contextDefinition).toMatchObject<ContextDefinition>({
+      buildWithProps: expect.any(Function),
+      listing: true,
+      search: true,
+      standalone: true,
+      recommendation: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('buildWithProps should pass its parameters to the buildContext', () => {
+    const engine: SSRCommerceEngine = buildMockSSRCommerceEngine({
+      ...buildMockCommerceState(),
+      commerceContext: {...options},
+    });
+
+    contextDefinition.buildWithProps(engine, options);
+
+    expect(buildContextMock).toBeCalledWith(engine, {options});
+  });
+
+  it('should throw when props is undefined', () => {
+    const engine: SSRCommerceEngine = buildMockSSRCommerceEngine({
+      ...buildMockCommerceState(),
+      commerceContext: {...options},
+    });
+    const props = undefined as unknown as ContextOptions;
+
+    expect(() => {
+      contextDefinition.buildWithProps(engine, props);
+    }).toThrow(MissingControllerProps);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.ts
index 589b9b61750..6d892598181 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/commerce/context/headless-context.ssr.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   createControllerWithKind,
   Kind,
 } from '../../../app/commerce-ssr-engine/types/kind.js';
+import {MissingControllerProps} from '../../../utils/errors.js';
 import {
   Context,
   buildContext,
@@ -32,6 +33,9 @@ export function defineContext(): ContextDefinition {
     standalone: true,
     recommendation: true,
     buildWithProps: (engine, props) => {
+      if (props === undefined) {
+        throw new MissingControllerProps(Kind.Context);
+      }
       const controller = buildContext(engine, {options: props});
       return createControllerWithKind(controller, Kind.Context);
     },
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts
index 5c490efae8f..b91f4a4b5c7 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.test.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
 import {SSRSearchEngine} from '../../app/search-engine/search-engine.ssr.js';
-import {ControllerDefinitionWithProps} from '../../app/ssr-engine/types/common.js';
 import {buildMockSSRSearchEngine} from '../../test/mock-engine-v2.js';
 import {createMockState} from '../../test/mock-state.js';
-import {Context, buildContext} from './headless-context.js';
-import {ContextProps, defineContext} from './headless-context.ssr.js';
+import {MissingControllerProps} from '../../utils/errors.js';
+import {buildContext} from './headless-context.js';
+import {
+  ContextDefinition,
+  ContextProps,
+  defineContext,
+} from './headless-context.ssr.js';
 
 vi.mock('./headless-context');
 const buildContextMock = vi.mocked(buildContext);
 
-type contextDefinitionType = ControllerDefinitionWithProps<
-  SSRSearchEngine,
-  Context,
-  ContextProps
->;
-
 describe('define context', () => {
-  let contextDefinition: contextDefinitionType;
+  let contextDefinition: ContextDefinition;
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     contextDefinition = defineContext();
@@ -23,12 +21,12 @@ describe('define context', () => {
   });
 
   it('defineContext returns the proper type', () => {
-    expect(contextDefinition).toMatchObject<contextDefinitionType>({
+    expect(contextDefinition).toMatchObject<ContextDefinition>({
       buildWithProps: expect.any(Function),
     });
   });
 
-  it("buildWithProps should pass it's parameters to the buildContext", () => {
+  it('buildWithProps should pass its parameters to the buildContext', () => {
     const engine: SSRSearchEngine = buildMockSSRSearchEngine(createMockState());
     const props: ContextProps = {} as unknown as ContextProps;
 
@@ -38,4 +36,13 @@ describe('define context', () => {
 
     expect(buildContextMock).toBeCalledWith(engine, props);
   });
+
+  it('should throw when props is undefined', () => {
+    const engine: SSRSearchEngine = buildMockSSRSearchEngine(createMockState());
+    const props: ContextProps = undefined as unknown as ContextProps;
+
+    expect(() => {
+      contextDefinition.buildWithProps(engine, props);
+    }).toThrow(MissingControllerProps);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.ts
index 60564ef458a..4026f7c57f9 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/context/headless-context.ssr.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {SearchEngine} from '../../app/search-engine/search-engine.js';
 import {ControllerDefinitionWithProps} from '../../app/ssr-engine/types/common.js';
+import {MissingControllerProps} from '../../utils/errors.js';
 import {ContextProps} from '../core/context/headless-core-context.js';
 import {Context, buildContext} from './headless-context.js';
 
@@ -16,7 +17,11 @@ export interface ContextDefinition
  * */
 export function defineContext(): ContextDefinition {
   return {
-    buildWithProps: (engine, props) =>
-      buildContext(engine, {initialState: props.initialState}),
+    buildWithProps: (engine, props) => {
+      if (props === undefined) {
+        throw new MissingControllerProps('Context');
+      }
+      return buildContext(engine, {initialState: props.initialState});
+    },
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/search-parameter-manager/headless-search-parameter-manager.ssr.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/search-parameter-manager/headless-search-parameter-manager.ssr.ts
index db49f1d36f0..1e8bb105ab0 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/controllers/search-parameter-manager/headless-search-parameter-manager.ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/search-parameter-manager/headless-search-parameter-manager.ssr.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {queryReducer as query} from '../../features/query/query-slice.js';
 import {sortCriteriaReducer as sortCriteria} from '../../features/sort-criteria/sort-criteria-slice.js';
 import {staticFilterSetReducer as staticFilterSet} from '../../features/static-filter-set/static-filter-set-slice.js';
 import {tabSetReducer as tabSet} from '../../features/tab-set/tab-set-slice.js';
-import {loadReducerError} from '../../utils/errors.js';
+import {loadReducerError, MissingControllerProps} from '../../utils/errors.js';
 import {advancedSearchQueriesReducer as advancedSearchQueries} from './../../features/advanced-search-queries/advanced-search-queries-slice.js';
 import {
   SearchParameterManager,
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ export interface SearchParameterManagerDefinition
 export function defineSearchParameterManager(): SearchParameterManagerDefinition {
   return {
     buildWithProps: (engine, props) => {
+      if (props === undefined) {
+        throw new MissingControllerProps('SearchParameterManager');
+      }
       if (!loadSearchParameterManagerReducers(engine)) {
         throw loadReducerError;
       }
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/controllers/url-manager/headless-url-manager.ssr.ts b/packages/headless/src/controllers/url-manager/headless-url-manager.ssr.ts
index 3663e59024b..878987f823a 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/controllers/url-manager/headless-url-manager.ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/controllers/url-manager/headless-url-manager.ssr.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import {SearchEngine} from '../../app/search-engine/search-engine.js';
 import {ControllerDefinitionWithProps} from '../../app/ssr-engine/types/common.js';
+import {MissingControllerProps} from '../../utils/errors.js';
 import {
   UrlManager,
   UrlManagerInitialState,
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ export const defineUrlManager = (): ControllerDefinitionWithProps<
   UrlManager,
   UrlManagerBuildProps
 > => ({
-  buildWithProps: (engine, props) =>
-    buildUrlManager(engine, {initialState: props.initialState}),
+  buildWithProps: (engine, props) => {
+    if (props === undefined) {
+      throw new MissingControllerProps('UrlManager');
+    }
+    return buildUrlManager(engine, {initialState: props.initialState});
+  },
 });
diff --git a/packages/headless/src/utils/errors.ts b/packages/headless/src/utils/errors.ts
index a1998dcc663..b39c2415545 100644
--- a/packages/headless/src/utils/errors.ts
+++ b/packages/headless/src/utils/errors.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ export class InvalidControllerDefinition extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+export class MissingControllerProps extends Error {
+  constructor(controller: string) {
+    super();
+    this.name = 'MissingControllerProps';
+    this.message = `${controller} props are required but were undefined. Ensure they are included when calling \`fetchStaticState\` or \`hydrateStaticState\`.`;
+    // + '\nSee [TODO: add link to fetchStaticState example] for more information.';
+  }
+}
+
 export class MultipleRecommendationError extends Error {
   constructor(slotId: string) {
     super();