diff --git a/React/Views/RCTTVView.m b/React/Views/RCTTVView.m
index e3c44f6db..d27aded86 100644
--- a/React/Views/RCTTVView.m
+++ b/React/Views/RCTTVView.m
@@ -173,9 +173,11 @@ RCT_NOT_IMPLEMENTED(- (instancetype)initWithCoder:unused)
   if (hasTVPreferredFocus) {
     dispatch_after(dispatch_time(DISPATCH_TIME_NOW, (int64_t)(1.0 * NSEC_PER_SEC)), dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
       UIView *rootview = self;
-      while(![rootview isReactRootView]) {
+      while (![rootview isReactRootView] && rootview != nil) {
         rootview = [rootview superview];
       }
+      if (rootview == nil) return;
+
       rootview = [rootview superview];
 
       [(RCTRootView *)rootview setReactPreferredFocusedView:self];