diff --git a/Yubico.Core/src/Yubico/Core/Devices/SmartCard/DesktopSmartCardDeviceListener.cs b/Yubico.Core/src/Yubico/Core/Devices/SmartCard/DesktopSmartCardDeviceListener.cs
index d7a63c81..ad6d9ae9 100644
--- a/Yubico.Core/src/Yubico/Core/Devices/SmartCard/DesktopSmartCardDeviceListener.cs
+++ b/Yubico.Core/src/Yubico/Core/Devices/SmartCard/DesktopSmartCardDeviceListener.cs
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ public DesktopSmartCardDeviceListener()
             uint result = SCardEstablishContext(SCARD_SCOPE.USER, out SCardContext context);
             _log.SCardApiCall(nameof(SCardEstablishContext), result);
 
+            // If we failed to establish context to the smart card subsystem, something substantially wrong
+            // has occured. We should not continue, and the device listener should remain dormant.
+            if (result != ErrorCode.SCARD_S_SUCCESS)
+            {
+                _context = new SCardContext(IntPtr.Zero);
+                _readerStates = Array.Empty<SCARD_READER_STATE>();
+                return;
+            }
+
             _context = context;
             _readerStates = GetReaderStateList();