diff --git a/src/Controller/Component/SearchComponent.php b/src/Controller/Component/SearchComponent.php
index 717ff63b..5bb24098 100644
--- a/src/Controller/Component/SearchComponent.php
+++ b/src/Controller/Component/SearchComponent.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Cake\Form\Form;
 use Cake\Utility\Hash;
 use Closure;
+use RuntimeException;
 use UnexpectedValueException;
 
 /**
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@ class SearchComponent extends Component
      * - `autoloadHelper` : Whether to autoload the SearchHelper for search actions, default `true`.
      *   Use `false` to disable automatic loading or set it to an array to configure the helper.
      *   E.g. `'events' => ['Controller.beforeRender' => false]`
+     * - `strictMode` : When `true`, throws exceptions if the model cannot be fetched or the
+     *   Search behavior is not loaded. When `false` (default), silently skips.
+     *   This is useful when the component is loaded in AppController but not all controllers
+     *   have a searchable table. Set to `true` in controller-specific configurations to catch
+     *   misconfiguration early.
      *
      * @var array<string, mixed>
      */
@@ -55,6 +61,7 @@ class SearchComponent extends Component
         'modelClass' => null,
         'formClass' => null,
         'autoloadHelper' => true,
+        'strictMode' => false,
         'events' => [
             'Controller.startup' => 'startup',
             'Controller.beforeRender' => 'beforeRender',
@@ -161,16 +168,38 @@ public function beforeRender(): void
         }
 
         $controller = $this->getController();
+        $strictMode = $this->getConfig('strictMode');
+
         try {
             /**
              * @var \Cake\ORM\Table<array{Search: \Search\Model\Behavior\SearchBehavior}> $model
              */
             $model = $controller->fetchTable($this->getConfig('modelClass'));
         } catch (UnexpectedValueException $e) {
+            if ($strictMode) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(sprintf(
+                    'SearchComponent on `%s::%s()` could not load table: %s. '
+                    . 'Set the `modelClass` config option to the correct table class.',
+                    get_class($controller),
+                    $controller->getRequest()->getParam('action'),
+                    $e->getMessage(),
+                ), 0, $e);
+            }
+
             return;
         }
 
         if (!$model->behaviors()->has('Search')) {
+            if ($strictMode) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(sprintf(
+                    'SearchComponent on `%s::%s()`: Table `%s` does not have the Search behavior loaded. '
+                    . 'Make sure to call `addBehavior(\'Search.Search\')` in the table\'s `initialize()` method.',
+                    get_class($controller),
+                    $controller->getRequest()->getParam('action'),
+                    get_class($model),
+                ));
+            }
+
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/Controller/Component/SearchComponentTest.php b/tests/TestCase/Controller/Component/SearchComponentTest.php
index 91382c70..9dc10d2a 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/Controller/Component/SearchComponentTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/Controller/Component/SearchComponentTest.php
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@
 use Cake\Event\Event;
 use Cake\Http\Response;
 use Cake\Http\ServerRequest;
+use Cake\ORM\Table;
 use Cake\Routing\RouteBuilder;
 use Cake\Routing\Router;
 use Cake\TestSuite\TestCase;
 use ReflectionProperty;
+use RuntimeException;
 use Search\Controller\Component\SearchComponent;
 use Search\Test\TestApp\Form\SearchForm;
 use Search\Test\TestApp\Model\Table\ArticlesTable;
@@ -549,4 +551,105 @@ public function testAutoloadHelperWithConfig()
         $this->assertSame('Search.Search', $helpers['Search']['className']);
         $this->assertSame(['foo'], $helpers['Search']['additionalBlacklist']);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that without strictMode, missing model silently skips.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testBeforeRenderWithoutModelSilentlySkips(): void
+    {
+        $controller = new Controller(
+            $this->Controller->getRequest()->withAttribute('params', [
+                'controller' => 'NonExistent',
+                'action' => 'index',
+            ]),
+        );
+        $reflection = new ReflectionProperty(Controller::class, 'defaultTable');
+        $reflection->setValue($controller, null);
+
+        $search = new SearchComponent($controller->components());
+        $search->beforeRender();
+
+        $viewVars = $controller->viewBuilder()->getVars();
+        $this->assertArrayNotHasKey('_isSearch', $viewVars);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that without strictMode, missing Search behavior silently skips.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testBeforeRenderWithoutBehaviorSilentlySkips(): void
+    {
+        $this->Controller->setRequest(
+            $this->Controller->getRequest()->withAttribute('params', [
+                'controller' => 'Articles',
+                'action' => 'index',
+            ]),
+        );
+
+        // Use a plain Table without the Search behavior
+        $articles = $this->getTableLocator()->get('Articles', [
+            'className' => Table::class,
+        ]);
+        $this->Controller->getTableLocator()->set('Articles', $articles);
+
+        $this->Search->beforeRender();
+
+        $viewVars = $this->Controller->viewBuilder()->getVars();
+        $this->assertArrayNotHasKey('_isSearch', $viewVars);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that strictMode throws exception when model cannot be fetched.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testStrictModeThrowsOnMissingModel(): void
+    {
+        $controller = new Controller(
+            $this->Controller->getRequest()->withAttribute('params', [
+                'controller' => 'NonExistent',
+                'action' => 'index',
+            ]),
+        );
+        $reflection = new ReflectionProperty(Controller::class, 'defaultTable');
+        $reflection->setValue($controller, null);
+
+        $search = new SearchComponent($controller->components(), [
+            'strictMode' => true,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->expectException(RuntimeException::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('could not load table');
+        $search->beforeRender();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Test that strictMode throws exception when Search behavior is not loaded.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testStrictModeThrowsOnMissingBehavior(): void
+    {
+        $this->Controller->setRequest(
+            $this->Controller->getRequest()->withAttribute('params', [
+                'controller' => 'Articles',
+                'action' => 'index',
+            ]),
+        );
+
+        // Use a plain Table without the Search behavior
+        $articles = $this->getTableLocator()->get('Articles', [
+            'className' => Table::class,
+        ]);
+        $this->Controller->getTableLocator()->set('Articles', $articles);
+
+        $this->Search->setConfig('strictMode', true);
+
+        $this->expectException(RuntimeException::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('does not have the Search behavior loaded');
+        $this->Search->beforeRender();
+    }
 }