diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizer.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizer.cs
index fee326dacc..e293cff211 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizer.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemVirtualizer.cs
@@ -161,6 +161,11 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
         /// <returns>An <see cref="ItemVirtualizer"/>.</returns>
         public static ItemVirtualizer Create(ItemsPresenter owner)
         {
+            if (owner.Panel == null)
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
             var virtualizingPanel = owner.Panel as IVirtualizingPanel;
             var scrollable = (ILogicalScrollable)owner;
             ItemVirtualizer result = null;
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenter.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenter.cs
index 590bfa25ac..f8d62a1cbf 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenter.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenter.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
                 nameof(VirtualizationMode),
                 defaultValue: ItemVirtualizationMode.None);
 
-        private ItemVirtualizer _virtualizer;
         private bool _canHorizontallyScroll;
         private bool _canVerticallyScroll;
 
@@ -76,21 +75,27 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         bool ILogicalScrollable.IsLogicalScrollEnabled
         {
-            get { return _virtualizer?.IsLogicalScrollEnabled ?? false; }
+            get { return Virtualizer?.IsLogicalScrollEnabled ?? false; }
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
-        Size IScrollable.Extent => _virtualizer.Extent;
+        Size IScrollable.Extent => Virtualizer?.Extent ?? Size.Empty;
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         Vector IScrollable.Offset
         {
-            get { return _virtualizer.Offset; }
-            set { _virtualizer.Offset = CoerceOffset(value); }
+            get { return Virtualizer?.Offset ?? new Vector(); }
+            set
+            {
+                if (Virtualizer != null)
+                {
+                    Virtualizer.Offset = CoerceOffset(value);
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
-        Size IScrollable.Viewport => _virtualizer.Viewport;
+        Size IScrollable.Viewport => Virtualizer?.Viewport ?? Bounds.Size;
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         Action ILogicalScrollable.InvalidateScroll { get; set; }
@@ -101,6 +106,8 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         Size ILogicalScrollable.PageScrollSize => new Size(0, 1);
 
+        internal ItemVirtualizer Virtualizer { get; private set; }
+
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         bool ILogicalScrollable.BringIntoView(IControl target, Rect targetRect)
         {
@@ -110,29 +117,30 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         IControl ILogicalScrollable.GetControlInDirection(NavigationDirection direction, IControl from)
         {
-            return _virtualizer?.GetControlInDirection(direction, from);
+            return Virtualizer?.GetControlInDirection(direction, from);
         }
 
         public override void ScrollIntoView(object item)
         {
-            _virtualizer?.ScrollIntoView(item);
+            Virtualizer?.ScrollIntoView(item);
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         protected override Size MeasureOverride(Size availableSize)
         {
-            return _virtualizer?.MeasureOverride(availableSize) ?? Size.Empty;
+            return Virtualizer?.MeasureOverride(availableSize) ?? Size.Empty;
         }
 
         protected override Size ArrangeOverride(Size finalSize)
         {
-            return _virtualizer?.ArrangeOverride(finalSize) ?? Size.Empty;
+            return Virtualizer?.ArrangeOverride(finalSize) ?? Size.Empty;
         }
 
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         protected override void PanelCreated(IPanel panel)
         {
-            _virtualizer = ItemVirtualizer.Create(this);
+            Virtualizer?.Dispose();
+            Virtualizer = ItemVirtualizer.Create(this);
             ((ILogicalScrollable)this).InvalidateScroll?.Invoke();
 
             if (!Panel.IsSet(KeyboardNavigation.DirectionalNavigationProperty))
@@ -149,7 +157,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
 
         protected override void ItemsChanged(NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
         {
-            _virtualizer?.ItemsChanged(Items, e);
+            Virtualizer?.ItemsChanged(Items, e);
         }
 
         private Vector CoerceOffset(Vector value)
@@ -162,8 +170,8 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
 
         private void VirtualizationModeChanged(AvaloniaPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
         {
-            _virtualizer?.Dispose();
-            _virtualizer = ItemVirtualizer.Create(this);
+            Virtualizer?.Dispose();
+            Virtualizer = ItemVirtualizer.Create(this);
             ((ILogicalScrollable)this).InvalidateScroll?.Invoke();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenterBase.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenterBase.cs
index 5a56e52029..e9dc75a236 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenterBase.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Presenters/ItemsPresenterBase.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Specialized;
+using Avalonia.Collections;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Generators;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Templates;
 using Avalonia.Styling;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
             ItemsControl.MemberSelectorProperty.AddOwner<ItemsPresenterBase>();
 
         private IEnumerable _items;
+        private IDisposable _itemsSubscription;
         private bool _createdPanel;
         private IItemContainerGenerator _generator;
 
@@ -63,24 +65,12 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
 
             set
             {
-                if (_createdPanel)
-                {
-                    INotifyCollectionChanged incc = _items as INotifyCollectionChanged;
-
-                    if (incc != null)
-                    {
-                        incc.CollectionChanged -= ItemsCollectionChanged;
-                    }
-                }
+                _itemsSubscription?.Dispose();
+                _itemsSubscription = null;
 
-                if (_createdPanel && value != null)
+                if (_createdPanel && value is INotifyCollectionChanged incc)
                 {
-                    INotifyCollectionChanged incc = value as INotifyCollectionChanged;
-
-                    if (incc != null)
-                    {
-                        incc.CollectionChanged += ItemsCollectionChanged;
-                    }
+                    _itemsSubscription = incc.WeakSubscribe(ItemsCollectionChanged);
                 }
 
                 SetAndRaise(ItemsProperty, ref _items, value);
@@ -233,11 +223,9 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
 
             _createdPanel = true;
 
-            INotifyCollectionChanged incc = Items as INotifyCollectionChanged;
-
-            if (incc != null)
+            if (_itemsSubscription == null && Items is INotifyCollectionChanged incc)
             {
-                incc.CollectionChanged += ItemsCollectionChanged;
+                _itemsSubscription = incc.WeakSubscribe(ItemsCollectionChanged);
             }
 
             PanelCreated(Panel);
@@ -263,4 +251,4 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.Presenters
             (e.NewValue as IItemsPresenterHost)?.RegisterItemsPresenter(this);
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs
index 54972d5e0a..ba4ccb0527 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Presenters/ItemsPresenterTests_Virtualization.cs
@@ -195,6 +195,15 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Presenters
             }
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void Should_Not_Create_Virtualizer_Before_Panel()
+        {
+            var target = CreateTarget();
+
+            Assert.Null(target.Panel);
+            Assert.Null(target.Virtualizer);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void Changing_VirtualizationMode_None_To_Simple_Should_Update_Control()
         {