diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/tab-view/tab-view.ios.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/tab-view/tab-view.ios.ts
index df401071f..f84322fe1 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/tab-view/tab-view.ios.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/tab-view/tab-view.ios.ts
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ export class TabViewStyler implements style.Styler {
         var tabBar = <UITabBar>v.ios.tabBar;
         let currentFont;
 
-        if (tabBar.items.count > 0) {
+        if (tabBar.items && tabBar.items.count > 0) {
             let currentAttrs = tabBar.items[0].titleTextAttributesForState(UIControlState.Normal);
             if (currentAttrs) {
                 currentFont = currentAttrs.objectForKey(NSFontAttributeName);
@@ -595,4 +595,4 @@ export class TabViewStyler implements style.Styler {
     }
 }
 
-TabViewStyler.registerHandlers();
\ No newline at end of file
+TabViewStyler.registerHandlers();