diff --git a/src/inspector/dom_storage_agent.cc b/src/inspector/dom_storage_agent.cc
index 3708d3b59975..caf7ca98f7d3 100644
--- a/src/inspector/dom_storage_agent.cc
+++ b/src/inspector/dom_storage_agent.cc
@@ -101,10 +101,12 @@ protocol::DispatchResponse DOMStorageAgent::getDOMStorageItems(
   std::optional<StorageMap> storage_map_fallback;
   if (storage_map->empty()) {
     auto web_storage_obj = getWebStorage(is_local_storage);
-    if (web_storage_obj) {
-      storage_map_fallback = web_storage_obj.value()->GetAll();
-      storage_map = &storage_map_fallback.value();
+    if (!web_storage_obj) {
+      return protocol::DispatchResponse::ServerError(
+          "Could not read DOM storage items");
     }
+    storage_map_fallback = web_storage_obj.value()->GetAll();
+    storage_map = &storage_map_fallback.value();
   }
 
   auto result =
diff --git a/src/inspector/storage_agent.cc b/src/inspector/storage_agent.cc
index 62fc2d9e858d..ac3cbbded98d 100644
--- a/src/inspector/storage_agent.cc
+++ b/src/inspector/storage_agent.cc
@@ -17,13 +17,22 @@ void StorageAgent::Wire(protocol::UberDispatcher* dispatcher) {
 DispatchResponse StorageAgent::getStorageKey(
     std::optional<protocol::String> frameId, protocol::String* storageKey) {
   auto local_storage_file = env_->options()->localstorage_file;
-  *storageKey = node::url::FromFilePath(to_absolute_path(local_storage_file));
+  auto absolute_path = to_absolute_path(local_storage_file);
+  if (!absolute_path) {
+    return protocol::DispatchResponse::ServerError(
+        "Could not resolve the storage key path");
+  }
+  *storageKey = node::url::FromFilePath(*absolute_path);
   return protocol::DispatchResponse::Success();
 }
 
-std::string StorageAgent::to_absolute_path(const std::filesystem::path& input) {
-  std::filesystem::path abs =
-      std::filesystem::weakly_canonical(std::filesystem::absolute(input));
+std::optional<std::string> StorageAgent::to_absolute_path(
+    const std::filesystem::path& input) {
+  std::error_code error;
+  std::filesystem::path abs = std::filesystem::absolute(input, error);
+  if (error) return std::nullopt;
+  abs = std::filesystem::weakly_canonical(abs, error);
+  if (error) return std::nullopt;
   return abs.generic_string();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/inspector/storage_agent.h b/src/inspector/storage_agent.h
index 46680182672f..f2f5a59aceac 100644
--- a/src/inspector/storage_agent.h
+++ b/src/inspector/storage_agent.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef SRC_INSPECTOR_STORAGE_AGENT_H_
 #define SRC_INSPECTOR_STORAGE_AGENT_H_
 
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
 #include "env.h"
 #include "node/inspector/protocol/Storage.h"
 
@@ -22,7 +25,8 @@ class StorageAgent : public protocol::Storage::Backend {
   StorageAgent& operator=(const StorageAgent&) = delete;
 
  private:
-  std::string to_absolute_path(const std::filesystem::path& input);
+  std::optional<std::string> to_absolute_path(
+      const std::filesystem::path& input);
   std::unique_ptr<protocol::Storage::Frontend> frontend_;
   Environment* env_;
 };
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-inspector-dom-storage-unavailable.mjs b/test/fixtures/test-inspector-dom-storage-unavailable.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..902086e8a483
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-inspector-dom-storage-unavailable.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import '../common/index.mjs';
+import assert from 'assert';
+import { Session } from 'node:inspector/promises';
+
+// getDOMStorageItems only looks at isLocalStorage, so the storage key is not
+// needed to address a store. Storage.getStorageKey is deliberately not used
+// here: without --localstorage-file it has no path to resolve, and what it
+// does then differs between platforms.
+const storageKey = '';
+
+// Without --localstorage-file, globalThis.localStorage is undefined, so the
+// agent cannot read the store. Reading its items must report an error instead
+// of answering successfully with an empty list, which is indistinguishable
+// from a store that exists and happens to be empty.
+{
+  const session = new Session();
+  await session.connect();
+  await session.post('DOMStorage.enable');
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    session.post('DOMStorage.getDOMStorageItems', {
+      storageId: {
+        isLocalStorage: true,
+        securityOrigin: '',
+        storageKey,
+      },
+    }),
+    {
+      code: 'ERR_INSPECTOR_COMMAND',
+      message: /Could not read DOM storage items/,
+    },
+  );
+
+  session.disconnect();
+}
+
+// sessionStorage is always backed by an in-memory store, so it stays readable
+// and answers with an empty list until items are added.
+{
+  const session = new Session();
+  await session.connect();
+  await session.post('DOMStorage.enable');
+
+  const storageId = { isLocalStorage: false, securityOrigin: '', storageKey };
+
+  const empty = await session.post('DOMStorage.getDOMStorageItems', {
+    storageId,
+  });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(empty.entries, []);
+
+  sessionStorage.setItem('key', 'value');
+  const result = await session.post('DOMStorage.getDOMStorageItems', {
+    storageId,
+  });
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(result.entries, [['key', 'value']]);
+
+  session.disconnect();
+}
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-inspector-dom-storage.js b/test/parallel/test-inspector-dom-storage.js
index be3d8a0ed7c2..6feafd622003 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-inspector-dom-storage.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-inspector-dom-storage.js
@@ -14,3 +14,9 @@ spawnSyncAndExitWithoutError(process.execPath, [
   '--localstorage-file=./localstorage.db',
   fixtures.path('test-inspector-dom-storage.mjs'),
 ], { cwd: tmpdir.path });
+
+spawnSyncAndExitWithoutError(process.execPath, [
+  '--inspect=0',
+  '--experimental-storage-inspection',
+  fixtures.path('test-inspector-dom-storage-unavailable.mjs'),
+], { cwd: tmpdir.path });