diff --git a/src/EntityComponentManager.cc b/src/EntityComponentManager.cc
index 62a82e75a0..1b261294d0 100644
--- a/src/EntityComponentManager.cc
+++ b/src/EntityComponentManager.cc
@@ -1667,6 +1667,12 @@ void EntityComponentManager::SetState(
       if (nullptr == comp)
       {
         auto newComp = components::Factory::Instance()->New(type);
+        if (nullptr == newComp)
+        {
+          ignerr << "Failed to create component type ["
+            << compMsg.type() << "]" << std::endl;
+          continue;
+        }
         std::istringstream istr(compMsg.component());
         newComp->Deserialize(istr);
         this->CreateComponentImplementation(entity, type, newComp.get());
diff --git a/src/EntityComponentManager_TEST.cc b/src/EntityComponentManager_TEST.cc
index c32ef6f778..ed45452d66 100644
--- a/src/EntityComponentManager_TEST.cc
+++ b/src/EntityComponentManager_TEST.cc
@@ -3014,11 +3014,20 @@ TEST_P(EntityComponentManagerFixture, StateMsgUpdateComponent)
   auto entity = originalECMStateMap.CreateEntity();
   originalECMStateMap.CreateComponent(entity, components::IntComponent(1));
 
+  int foundEntities = 0;
+  otherECMStateMap.Each<components::IntComponent>(
+      [&](const Entity &, const components::IntComponent *)
+      {
+        foundEntities++;
+        return true;
+      });
+  EXPECT_EQ(0, foundEntities);
+
   // update the other ECM to have the new entity and component
   msgs::SerializedStateMap stateMapMsg;
   originalECMStateMap.State(stateMapMsg);
   otherECMStateMap.SetState(stateMapMsg);
-  int foundEntities = 0;
+  foundEntities = 0;
   otherECMStateMap.Each<components::IntComponent>(
       [&](const Entity &, const components::IntComponent *_intComp)
       {
@@ -3048,6 +3057,15 @@ TEST_P(EntityComponentManagerFixture, StateMsgUpdateComponent)
   EntityComponentManager originalECMState;
   EntityComponentManager otherECMState;
 
+  foundEntities = 0;
+  otherECMState.Each<components::IntComponent>(
+      [&](const Entity &, const components::IntComponent *)
+      {
+        foundEntities++;
+        return true;
+      });
+  EXPECT_EQ(0, foundEntities);
+
   entity = originalECMState.CreateEntity();
   originalECMState.CreateComponent(entity, components::IntComponent(1));