diff --git a/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx b/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx
index f494eb5946..720023a018 100644
--- a/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/modal/modal.tsx
@@ -402,8 +402,16 @@ export class Modal implements ComponentInterface, OverlayInterface {
       destroyTriggerInteraction();
     }
 
+    if (trigger === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const triggerEl = trigger !== undefined ? document.getElementById(trigger) : null;
     if (!triggerEl) {
+      printIonWarning(
+        `A trigger element with the ID "${trigger}" was not found in the DOM. The trigger element must be in the DOM when the "trigger" property is set on ion-modal.`,
+        this.el
+      );
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx b/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
index 9b3ff6a332..633f640502 100644
--- a/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { ComponentInterface, EventEmitter } from '@stencil/core';
 import { Component, Element, Event, Host, Method, Prop, State, Watch, h } from '@stencil/core';
+import { printIonWarning } from '@utils/logging';
 
 import { getIonMode } from '../../global/ionic-global';
 import type {
@@ -620,8 +621,16 @@ export class Popover implements ComponentInterface, PopoverInterface {
       destroyTriggerInteraction();
     }
 
+    if (trigger === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const triggerEl = (this.triggerEl = trigger !== undefined ? document.getElementById(trigger) : null);
     if (!triggerEl) {
+      printIonWarning(
+        `A trigger element with the ID "${trigger}" was not found in the DOM. The trigger element must be in the DOM when the "trigger" property is set on ion-popover.`,
+        this.el
+      );
       return;
     }