diff --git a/react/src/components/__tests__/PostHogFeature.test.jsx b/react/src/components/__tests__/PostHogFeature.test.jsx
index 8bc27afbc..ed2feb086 100644
--- a/react/src/components/__tests__/PostHogFeature.test.jsx
+++ b/react/src/components/__tests__/PostHogFeature.test.jsx
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ describe('PostHogFeature component', () => {
             unobserve: () => null,
             disconnect: () => null,
         })
+
+        // eslint-disable-next-line compat/compat
         window.IntersectionObserver = mockIntersectionObserver
     })
 
diff --git a/react/src/context/PostHogProvider.tsx b/react/src/context/PostHogProvider.tsx
index 9fb95b78c..4b29ec377 100644
--- a/react/src/context/PostHogProvider.tsx
+++ b/react/src/context/PostHogProvider.tsx
@@ -4,41 +4,63 @@ import posthogJs, { PostHogConfig } from 'posthog-js'
 import React, { useMemo } from 'react'
 import { PostHog, PostHogContext } from './PostHogContext'
 
-export function PostHogProvider({
-    children,
-    client,
-    apiKey,
-    options,
-}: {
-    children?: React.ReactNode
-    client?: PostHog | undefined
-    apiKey?: string | undefined
-    options?: Partial<PostHogConfig> | undefined
-}) {
-    const posthog = useMemo(() => {
-        if (client && apiKey) {
-            console.warn(
-                '[PostHog.js] You have provided both a client and an apiKey to PostHogProvider. The apiKey will be ignored in favour of the client.'
-            )
-        }
+type WithOptionalChildren<T> = T & { children?: React.ReactNode | undefined }
 
-        if (client && options) {
-            console.warn(
-                '[PostHog.js] You have provided both a client and options to PostHogProvider. The options will be ignored in favour of the client.'
-            )
-        }
+/**
+ * Props for the PostHogProvider component.
+ * This is a discriminated union type that ensures mutually exclusive props:
+ *
+ * - If `client` is provided, `apiKey` and `options` must not be provided
+ * - If `apiKey` is provided, `client` must not be provided, and `options` is optional
+ */
+type PostHogProviderProps =
+    | { client: PostHog; apiKey?: never; options?: never }
+    | { apiKey: string; options?: Partial<PostHogConfig>; client?: never }
 
+/**
+ * PostHogProvider is a React context provider for PostHog analytics.
+ * It can be initialized in two mutually exclusive ways:
+ *
+ * 1. By providing an existing PostHog `client` instance
+ * 2. By providing an `apiKey` (and optionally `options`) to create a new client
+ *
+ * These initialization methods are mutually exclusive - you must use one or the other,
+ * but not both simultaneously.
+ */
+export function PostHogProvider({ children, client, apiKey, options }: WithOptionalChildren<PostHogProviderProps>) {
+    const posthog = useMemo(() => {
         if (client) {
+            if (apiKey) {
+                console.warn(
+                    '[PostHog.js] You have provided both `client` and `apiKey` to `PostHogProvider`. `apiKey` will be ignored in favour of `client`.'
+                )
+            }
+
+            if (options) {
+                console.warn(
+                    '[PostHog.js] You have provided both `client` and `options` to `PostHogProvider`. `options` will be ignored in favour of `client`.'
+                )
+            }
+
+            if (client.__loaded) {
+                console.warn('[PostHog.js] `client` was already loaded elsewhere. This may cause issues.')
+            }
+
             return client
         }
 
         if (apiKey) {
             if (posthogJs.__loaded) {
-                console.warn('[PostHog.js] was already loaded elsewhere. This may cause issues.')
+                console.warn('[PostHog.js] `posthog` was already loaded elsewhere. This may cause issues.')
             }
+
             posthogJs.init(apiKey, options)
+            return posthogJs
         }
 
+        console.warn(
+            '[PostHog.js] No `apiKey` or `client` were provided to `PostHogProvider`. Using default global `window.posthog` instance. You must initialize it manually. This is not recommended behavior.'
+        )
         return posthogJs
     }, [client, apiKey])
 
diff --git a/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogContext.test.jsx b/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogContext.test.jsx
index 75a8ca0ad..8ef96981f 100644
--- a/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogContext.test.jsx
+++ b/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogContext.test.jsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import * as React from 'react'
 import { render } from '@testing-library/react'
-import { PostHogContext, PostHogProvider } from '../'
+import { PostHogProvider } from '..'
 
-describe('usePostHogContext hook', () => {
+describe('PostHogContext component', () => {
     given(
         'render',
         () => () =>
@@ -18,11 +18,17 @@ describe('usePostHogContext hook', () => {
         given.render()
     })
 
-    it("should not error if a client instance can't be found in the context", () => {
-        // used to make sure it doesn't throw an error when no client is found e.g. nextjs
-        given('posthog', () => undefined)
-        console.error = jest.fn()
+    it("should not throw error if a client instance can't be found in the context", () => {
+        given('posthog', () => undefined) // it might not exist in SSR for example
 
-        expect(() => given.render())
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+        console.warn = jest.fn()
+
+        expect(() => given.render()).not.toThrow()
+
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+        expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            '[PostHog.js] No `apiKey` or `client` were provided to `PostHogProvider`. Using default global `window.posthog` instance. You must initialize it manually. This is not recommended behavior.'
+        )
     })
 })
diff --git a/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogProvider.test.jsx b/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogProvider.test.jsx
index 190d6efcb..9dd1bf921 100644
--- a/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogProvider.test.jsx
+++ b/react/src/context/__tests__/PostHogProvider.test.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import * as React from 'react'
 import { render } from '@testing-library/react'
-import { PostHogProvider, PostHogContext } from '..'
+import { PostHogProvider } from '..'
 
 describe('PostHogProvider component', () => {
     given(
diff --git a/react/src/utils/type-utils.ts b/react/src/utils/type-utils.ts
index a61194526..5a9a0bd70 100644
--- a/react/src/utils/type-utils.ts
+++ b/react/src/utils/type-utils.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@ export const isFunction = function (f: any): f is (...args: any[]) => any {
     // eslint-disable-next-line posthog-js/no-direct-function-check
     return typeof f === 'function'
 }
+
 export const isUndefined = function (x: unknown): x is undefined {
     return x === void 0
 }
+
 export const isNull = function (x: unknown): x is null {
     // eslint-disable-next-line posthog-js/no-direct-null-check
     return x === null