diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs
index 98c5445fc0..179e918bf1 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs
@@ -237,8 +237,18 @@ export class Accordion extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     const $heading = $header.querySelector(`.${this.sectionHeadingClass}`)
     const $summary = $header.querySelector(`.${this.sectionSummaryClass}`)
 
-    if (!$span || !$heading) {
-      return
+    if (!$heading) {
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Accordion',
+        identifier: `Section heading (\`.${this.sectionHeadingClass}\`)`
+      })
+    }
+
+    if (!$span) {
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Accordion',
+        identifier: `Section button (\`.${this.sectionButtonClass}\`)`
+      })
     }
 
     // Create a button element that will replace the
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.puppeteer.test.js b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.puppeteer.test.js
index 4d95160c7a..2c61cda698 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.puppeteer.test.js
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.puppeteer.test.js
@@ -798,6 +798,40 @@ describe('/components/accordion', () => {
               'Accordion: Section headers (`.govuk-accordion__section-header`) not found'
           })
         })
+
+        it('throws when any section heading is missing', async () => {
+          await expect(
+            renderAndInitialise(page, 'accordion', examples.default, {
+              beforeInitialisation($module, { selector }) {
+                $module.querySelector(selector).remove()
+              },
+              context: {
+                selector: '.govuk-accordion__section-heading'
+              }
+            })
+          ).rejects.toEqual({
+            name: 'ElementError',
+            message:
+              'Accordion: Section heading (`.govuk-accordion__section-heading`) not found'
+          })
+        })
+
+        it('throws when any section button span is missing', async () => {
+          await expect(
+            renderAndInitialise(page, 'accordion', examples.default, {
+              beforeInitialisation($module, { selector }) {
+                $module.querySelector(selector).remove()
+              },
+              context: {
+                selector: '.govuk-accordion__section-button'
+              }
+            })
+          ).rejects.toEqual({
+            name: 'ElementError',
+            message:
+              'Accordion: Section button (`.govuk-accordion__section-button`) not found'
+          })
+        })
       })
     })
   })