diff --git a/esphome/core/freertos_queue.h b/esphome/core/freertos_queue.h
index d264489663..9ce4fe3543 100644
--- a/esphome/core/freertos_queue.h
+++ b/esphome/core/freertos_queue.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ template<class T, uint8_t SIZE> class FreeRTOSQueue {
   FreeRTOSQueue() : dropped_count_(0) { this->handle_ = xQueueCreate(SIZE, sizeof(T *)); }
 
   bool push(T *element) {
-    if (element == nullptr)
+    if (element == nullptr || this->handle_ == nullptr)
       return false;
 
     if (xQueueSend(this->handle_, &element, 0) != pdPASS) {
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ template<class T, uint8_t SIZE> class FreeRTOSQueue {
   }
 
   T *pop() {
+    if (this->handle_ == nullptr)
+      return nullptr;
+
     T *element;
     if (xQueueReceive(this->handle_, &element, 0) != pdTRUE) {
       return nullptr;
@@ -57,11 +60,23 @@ template<class T, uint8_t SIZE> class FreeRTOSQueue {
 
   void increment_dropped_count() { this->dropped_count_++; }
 
-  bool empty() const { return uxQueueMessagesWaiting(this->handle_) == 0; }
+  bool empty() const {
+    if (this->handle_ == nullptr)
+      return true;
+    return uxQueueMessagesWaiting(this->handle_) == 0;
+  }
 
-  bool full() const { return uxQueueSpacesAvailable(this->handle_) == 0; }
+  bool full() const {
+    if (this->handle_ == nullptr)
+      return true;
+    return uxQueueSpacesAvailable(this->handle_) == 0;
+  }
 
-  size_t size() const { return uxQueueMessagesWaiting(this->handle_); }
+  size_t size() const {
+    if (this->handle_ == nullptr)
+      return 0;
+    return uxQueueMessagesWaiting(this->handle_);
+  }
 
  protected:
   QueueHandle_t handle_;