diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 731e3162..7dca93d9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ method.
 ### Patches
 * Add version gating to some tests introduced in 1.5.0 [PR #128](https://github.com/corretto/amazon-corretto-crypto-provider/pull/128)
 * More accurate output size estimates from `Cipher.getOutputSize()` [PR #138](https://github.com/corretto/amazon-corretto-crypto-provider/pull/138)
+* Validate that `AesGcmSpi` receives a non-null key on init to prevent unncessarily late NPE [PR #146](https://github.com/corretto/amazon-corretto-crypto-provider/pull/146)
 
 ## 1.5.0
 ### Breaking Change Warning
diff --git a/src/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/AesGcmSpi.java b/src/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/AesGcmSpi.java
index 023df3c1..90a9bef4 100644
--- a/src/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/AesGcmSpi.java
+++ b/src/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/AesGcmSpi.java
@@ -294,6 +294,10 @@ protected synchronized void engineInit(int opMode, Key key, SecureRandom secureR
     protected synchronized void engineInit(
         int jceOpMode, Key key, AlgorithmParameterSpec algorithmParameterSpec, SecureRandom secureRandom
     ) throws InvalidKeyException, InvalidAlgorithmParameterException {
+        if (key == null) {
+            throw new InvalidKeyException("Key can't be null");
+        }
+
         final GCMParameterSpec spec;
         if (algorithmParameterSpec instanceof GCMParameterSpec) {
             spec = (GCMParameterSpec) algorithmParameterSpec;
diff --git a/tst/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/test/AesTest.java b/tst/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/test/AesTest.java
index 0dbe5c9a..610c0568 100644
--- a/tst/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/test/AesTest.java
+++ b/tst/com/amazon/corretto/crypto/provider/test/AesTest.java
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@
 import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
 import java.security.InvalidAlgorithmParameterException;
 import java.security.InvalidKeyException;
+import java.security.Key;
 import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
 import java.security.SecureRandom;
 import java.security.Security;
+import java.security.spec.AlgorithmParameterSpec;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -579,6 +581,25 @@ public void test_initParameters() throws Throwable {
         assertArrayEquals(PLAINTEXT, decrypted);
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("ConstantConditions")
+    @Test
+    public void test_initNullKey() throws Throwable {
+        assumeMinimumVersion("1.6.0", AmazonCorrettoCryptoProvider.INSTANCE);
+        jceC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key);
+
+        final Key key = null;
+        AlgorithmParameters params = jceC.getParameters();
+        AlgorithmParameterSpec spec = params.getParameterSpec(GCMParameterSpec.class);
+        SecureRandom random = TestUtil.MISC_SECURE_RANDOM.get();
+
+        assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> amznC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key));
+        assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> amznC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key, params));
+        assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> amznC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key, params, random));
+        assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> amznC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key, random));
+        assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> amznC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key, spec));
+        assertThrows(InvalidKeyException.class, () -> amznC.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key, spec, random));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void test_bufferOverflows() throws Throwable {
         final SecureRandom rnd = TestUtil.MISC_SECURE_RANDOM.get();