diff --git a/pkg/cache/v3/simple.go b/pkg/cache/v3/simple.go
index 702d449eb2..5fe36c5b9e 100644
--- a/pkg/cache/v3/simple.go
+++ b/pkg/cache/v3/simple.go
@@ -184,7 +184,11 @@ func NewSnapshotCacheWithHeartbeating(ctx context.Context, ads bool, hash NodeHa
 }
 
 func (cache *snapshotCache) sendHeartbeats(ctx context.Context, node string) {
-	snapshot := cache.snapshots[node]
+	snapshot, ok := cache.snapshots[node]
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if info, ok := cache.status[node]; ok {
 		info.mu.Lock()
 		for id, watch := range info.watches {
diff --git a/pkg/cache/v3/simple_test.go b/pkg/cache/v3/simple_test.go
index 1105b683c1..d5e1f92711 100644
--- a/pkg/cache/v3/simple_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cache/v3/simple_test.go
@@ -604,3 +604,34 @@ func TestSnapshotSingleResourceFetch(t *testing.T) {
 		protocmp.Transform()),
 	)
 }
+
+func TestAvertPanicForWatchOnNonExistentSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	c := cache.NewSnapshotCacheWithHeartbeating(ctx, false, cache.IDHash{}, nil, time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Create watch.
+	req := &cache.Request{
+		Node:          &core.Node{Id: "test"},
+		ResourceNames: []string{"rtds"},
+		TypeUrl:       rsrc.RuntimeType,
+	}
+	ss := stream.NewStreamState(false, map[string]string{"cluster": "abcdef"})
+	responder := make(chan cache.Response)
+	c.CreateWatch(req, ss, responder)
+
+	go func() {
+		// Wait for at least one heartbeat to occur, then set snapshot.
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 5)
+		srs := &singleResourceSnapshot{
+			version:  "version-one",
+			typeurl:  rsrc.RuntimeType,
+			name:     "one-second",
+			resource: durationpb.New(time.Second),
+		}
+		if err := c.SetSnapshot(ctx, "test", srs); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected error setting snapshot %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	<-responder
+}