diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 90c44fa4..ea907d89 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 - Bugfix: Fixed the input font not immediately updating when zooming in/out. (#5960)
 - Bugfix: Fixed missing special shortcut for Windows live notifications. (#5975)
 - Bugfix: Fixed color input thinking blue is also red. (#5982)
+- Bugfix: Fixed a crash that would occurr if the user tried to open the search popup in an uninitialized split. (#6057)
 - Bugfix: Fixed an issue where commands would sometimes reset if Chatterino was improperly shut down. (#6011)
 - Bugfix: Fixed a thick border on Windows 11. (#5836)
 - Bugfix: Fixed some windows not immediately closing. (#6054)
diff --git a/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.cpp b/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.cpp
index d6702ff8..399fd238 100644
--- a/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.cpp
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ ChannelView::ChannelView(QWidget *parent, Split *split, Context context,
 ChannelView::ChannelView(InternalCtor /*tag*/, QWidget *parent, Split *split,
                          Context context, size_t messagesLimit)
     : BaseWidget(parent)
+    , channel_(Channel::getEmpty())
     , split_(split)
     , scrollBar_(new Scrollbar(messagesLimit, this))
     , highlightAnimation_(this)
@@ -903,8 +904,10 @@ LimitedQueueSnapshot<MessageLayoutPtr> &ChannelView::getMessagesSnapshot()
     return this->snapshot_;
 }
 
-ChannelPtr ChannelView::channel()
+ChannelPtr ChannelView::channel() const
 {
+    assert(this->channel_ != nullptr);
+
     return this->channel_;
 }
 
@@ -3194,10 +3197,7 @@ bool ChannelView::canReplyToMessages() const
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (this->channel_ == nullptr)
-    {
-        return false;
-    }
+    assert(this->channel_ != nullptr);
 
     if (!this->channel_->isTwitchChannel())
     {
diff --git a/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.hpp b/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.hpp
index 3c8f078f..c58eee3e 100644
--- a/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.hpp
+++ b/src/widgets/helper/ChannelView.hpp
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public:
     /// nor IrcChannel.
     /// It's **not** equal to the channel passed in #setChannel().
     /// @see #underlyingChannel()
-    ChannelPtr channel();
+    ChannelPtr channel() const;
 
     /// @brief The channel this view displays messages for
     ///
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ private:
     /// screen and will always be a @a Channel, or, it will never be a
     /// TwitchChannel or IrcChannel, however, it will have the same type and
     /// name as @a underlyingChannel_. It's not know to any registry/server.
-    ChannelPtr channel_ = nullptr;
+    ChannelPtr channel_;
 
     /// @brief The channel receiving messages
     ///