diff --git a/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/index.js b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/index.js
index f025fdddb58..96dc8fccc26 100644
--- a/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/index.js
+++ b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ function vtkOpenGLHelper(publicAPI, model) {
 
   publicAPI.setOpenGLRenderWindow = (win) => {
     model.context = win.getContext();
+    if (!model.program) {
+      // A mapper clears the program on shader compile/bind failure; restore an
+      // empty one (handle 0) so getNeedToRebuildShaders re-arms instead of
+      // dereferencing null on the next pass.
+      model.program = vtkShaderProgram.newInstance();
+    }
     model.program.setContext(model.context);
     model.VAO.setOpenGLRenderWindow(win);
     model.CABO.setOpenGLRenderWindow(win);
diff --git a/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/test/testNullProgramRecovery.js b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/test/testNullProgramRecovery.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..19824ad02f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper/test/testNullProgramRecovery.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { it, expect } from 'vitest';
+
+import vtkHelper from 'vtk.js/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/Helper';
+
+it('restores an empty program after a mapper clears it on shader failure', () => {
+  const helper = vtkHelper.newInstance();
+  const gl = {};
+  const win = { getContext: () => gl };
+
+  helper.setOpenGLRenderWindow(win);
+  // updateShaders clears the program when a shader fails to compile or bind
+  helper.setProgram(null);
+
+  // the next render pass must not dereference the null program
+  expect(() => helper.setOpenGLRenderWindow(win)).not.toThrow();
+
+  // an empty program (handle 0) re-arms getNeedToRebuildShaders so the
+  // mapper retries the shader instead of leaving the viewport dead
+  const program = helper.getProgram();
+  expect(program.getHandle()).toBe(0);
+  expect(program.getCompiled()).toBe(false);
+  expect(program.getVertexShader().getContext()).toBe(gl);
+});
+
+it('keeps the existing program when it was not cleared', () => {
+  const helper = vtkHelper.newInstance();
+  const win = { getContext: () => ({}) };
+  const program = { setContext() {} };
+
+  helper.setProgram(program);
+  helper.setOpenGLRenderWindow(win);
+
+  // healthy frames must not discard a compiled program every pass
+  expect(helper.getProgram()).toBe(program);
+});
diff --git a/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/index.js b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/index.js
index 83d27aa9539..607aa9e5047 100644
--- a/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/index.js
+++ b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/index.js
@@ -138,7 +138,11 @@ function vtkShaderProgram(publicAPI, model) {
     if (!isCompiled) {
       const lastError = model.context.getProgramInfoLog(model.handle);
       vtkErrorMacro(`Error linking shader ${lastError}`);
+      // Deleting the program detaches its shaders
+      model.context.deleteProgram(model.handle);
       model.handle = 0;
+      model.vertexShaderHandle = 0;
+      model.fragmentShaderHandle = 0;
       return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/test/testFailedLink.js b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/test/testFailedLink.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0aac03d8ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram/test/testFailedLink.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import vtkShaderProgram from 'vtk.js/Sources/Rendering/OpenGL/ShaderProgram';
+
+function createContext() {
+  let nextHandle = 1;
+  return {
+    VERTEX_SHADER: 'VERTEX_SHADER',
+    FRAGMENT_SHADER: 'FRAGMENT_SHADER',
+    createShader: () => nextHandle++,
+    shaderSource() {},
+    compileShader() {},
+    getShaderParameter: () => true,
+    deleteShader() {},
+    createProgram: () => nextHandle++,
+    attachShader() {},
+    detachShader: vi.fn(),
+    linkProgram() {},
+    getProgramParameter: vi.fn(() => true),
+    getProgramInfoLog: () => 'link failed',
+    deleteProgram: vi.fn(),
+  };
+}
+
+it('deletes the program when its link fails so a retry starts clean', () => {
+  const gl = createContext();
+  const program = vtkShaderProgram.newInstance();
+  program.setContext(gl);
+  program.getVertexShader().setSource('void main() {}');
+  program.getFragmentShader().setSource('void main() {}');
+
+  vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+  gl.getProgramParameter.mockReturnValueOnce(false);
+  expect(program.compileShader()).toBe(0);
+  const failedHandle = gl.deleteProgram.mock.calls[0]?.[0];
+  expect(failedHandle).toBeTruthy();
+  expect(program.getHandle()).toBe(0);
+
+  // the retry creates a new program; detaching the old shaders from it is
+  // INVALID_OPERATION, so the stale attachment handles must be cleared
+  expect(program.compileShader()).toBe(1);
+  expect(program.getHandle()).not.toBe(failedHandle);
+  expect(gl.detachShader).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});