diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizerSimple.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizerSimple.cs
index 27a29a1e04..a54e502033 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizerSimple.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizerSimple.cs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ using Avalonia.Controls.Utils;
 using Avalonia.Input;
 using Avalonia.Layout;
 using Avalonia.Utilities;
+using Avalonia.VisualTree;
 
 namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
 {
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
             var generator = Owner.ItemContainerGenerator;
             var panel = VirtualizingPanel;
 
-            if (!panel.IsFull && Items != null)
+            if (!panel.IsFull && Items != null && panel.IsAttachedToVisualTree)
             {
                 var memberSelector = Owner.MemberSelector;
                 var index = NextIndex;
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ListBoxTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ListBoxTests.cs
index db2bb0f886..7e1347daf5 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ListBoxTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ListBoxTests.cs
@@ -194,6 +194,10 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
 
         private void Prepare(ListBox target)
         {
+            // The ListBox needs to be part of a rooted visual tree.
+            var root = new TestRoot();
+            root.Child = target;
+
             // Apply the template to the ListBox itself.
             target.ApplyTemplate();
 
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs
index 26657a0fbb..2f6361a867 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) The Avalonia Project. All rights reserved.
 // Licensed under the MIT license. See licence.md file in the project root for full license information.
 
+using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Generators;
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ using Avalonia.Controls.Presenters;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Primitives;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Templates;
 using Avalonia.Layout;
+using Avalonia.Rendering;
 using Avalonia.UnitTests;
 using Xunit;
 
@@ -15,6 +17,43 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Presenters
 {
     public class ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization
     {
+        [Fact]
+        public void Should_Not_Create_Items_Before_Added_To_Visual_Tree()
+        {
+            var items = Enumerable.Range(0, 10).Select(x => $"Item {x}").ToList();
+            var target = new TestItemsPresenter(true)
+            {
+                Items = items,
+                ItemsPanel = VirtualizingPanelTemplate(Orientation.Vertical),
+                ItemTemplate = ItemTemplate(),
+                VirtualizationMode = ItemVirtualizationMode.Simple,
+            };
+
+            var scroller = new ScrollContentPresenter
+            {
+                Content = target,
+            };
+
+            scroller.UpdateChild();
+            target.ApplyTemplate();
+            target.Measure(new Size(100, 100));
+            target.Arrange(new Rect(0, 0, 100, 100));
+
+            Assert.Empty(target.Panel.Children);
+
+            var root = new TestRoot
+            {
+                Child = scroller,
+            };
+
+            target.InvalidateMeasure();
+            target.Panel.InvalidateMeasure();
+            target.Measure(new Size(100, 100));
+            target.Arrange(new Rect(0, 0, 100, 100));
+
+            Assert.Equal(10, target.Panel.Children.Count);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void Should_Return_IsLogicalScrollEnabled_False_When_Has_No_Virtualizing_Panel()
         {
@@ -239,7 +278,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Presenters
             ItemsPresenter result;
             var items = Enumerable.Range(0, itemCount).Select(x => $"Item {x}").ToList();
 
-            var scroller = new ScrollContentPresenter
+            var scroller = new TestScroller
             {
                 Content = result = new TestItemsPresenter(useContainers)
                 {
@@ -273,6 +312,21 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Presenters
             });
         }
 
+        private class TestScroller : ScrollContentPresenter, IRenderRoot
+        {
+            public IRenderQueueManager RenderQueueManager { get; }
+
+            public Point PointToClient(Point point)
+            {
+                throw new NotImplementedException();
+            }
+
+            public Point PointToScreen(Point point)
+            {
+                throw new NotImplementedException();
+            }
+        }
+
         private class TestItemsPresenter : ItemsPresenter
         {
             private bool _useContainers;
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization_Simple.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization_Simple.cs
index aa02ecb666..34b074d185 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization_Simple.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization_Simple.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) The Avalonia Project. All rights reserved.
 // Licensed under the MIT license. See licence.md file in the project root for full license information.
 
+using System;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ using Avalonia.Controls.Presenters;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Primitives;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Templates;
 using Avalonia.Input;
+using Avalonia.Rendering;
 using Avalonia.UnitTests;
 using Xunit;
 
@@ -730,7 +732,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Presenters
                 (IEnumerable)new AvaloniaList<string>(itemsSource) :
                 (IEnumerable)new ObservableCollection<string>(itemsSource);
 
-            var scroller = new ScrollContentPresenter
+            var scroller = new TestScroller
             {
                 Content = result = new TestItemsPresenter(useContainers)
                 {
@@ -764,6 +766,21 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Presenters
             });
         }
 
+        private class TestScroller : ScrollContentPresenter, IRenderRoot
+        {
+            public IRenderQueueManager RenderQueueManager { get; }
+
+            public Point PointToClient(Point point)
+            {
+                throw new NotImplementedException();
+            }
+
+            public Point PointToScreen(Point point)
+            {
+                throw new NotImplementedException();
+            }
+        }
+
         private class TestItemsPresenter : ItemsPresenter
         {
             private bool _useContainers;