diff --git a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/Interop/TaskBarList.cs b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/Interop/TaskBarList.cs
index 850892fa6c..f040c97915 100644
--- a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/Interop/TaskBarList.cs
+++ b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Win32/Interop/TaskBarList.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ namespace Avalonia.Win32.Interop
         {
             int result = CoCreateInstance(in ShellIds.TaskBarList, IntPtr.Zero, 1, in ShellIds.ITaskBarList2, out IntPtr instance);
 
+            if (result != (int)HRESULT.S_OK)
+            {
+                return IntPtr.Zero;
+            }
+
             var ptr = (ITaskBarList3VTable**)instance.ToPointer();
 
             s_hrInitDelegate ??= Marshal.GetDelegateForFunctionPointer<HrInit>((*ptr)->HrInit);