diff --git a/src/core/CoreShaderManager.contextLoss.test.ts b/src/core/CoreShaderManager.contextLoss.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ccd93f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/CoreShaderManager.contextLoss.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+/**
+ * Tests for CoreShaderManager's behavior when shader creation fails.
+ *
+ * A lost GL context makes shader creation throw synchronously (see
+ * WebGlRenderer.createShaderProgram, which trips `stage.isContextLost`). On a
+ * lost context we must fail soft — returning the default shader node so the
+ * throw does not propagate through the consumer's reactive layer (recovery is
+ * an app reload via the `contextLost` event). A genuine compile error (context
+ * not lost) must still surface loudly.
+ */
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { CoreShaderManager } from './CoreShaderManager.js';
+import type { Stage } from './Stage.js';
+
+function makeManager(opts: { isContextLost: boolean; throwOnCreate: Error }) {
+  const defShaderNode = { __default: true };
+  const createShaderProgram = vi.fn(() => {
+    throw opts.throwOnCreate;
+  });
+  const stage = {
+    isContextLost: opts.isContextLost,
+    defShaderNode,
+    renderer: {
+      mode: 'webgl',
+      createShaderProgram,
+    },
+  } as unknown as Stage;
+
+  const mgr = Object.create(CoreShaderManager.prototype) as CoreShaderManager;
+  (mgr as unknown as { stage: Stage }).stage = stage;
+  (mgr as unknown as { shTypes: Record<string, unknown> }).shTypes = {
+    TestShader: { props: undefined },
+  };
+  (mgr as unknown as { shCache: Map<string, unknown> }).shCache = new Map();
+
+  return { mgr, defShaderNode, createShaderProgram };
+}
+
+describe('CoreShaderManager.createShader — context loss', () => {
+  it('returns the default shader node when the context is lost', () => {
+    const { mgr, defShaderNode } = makeManager({
+      isContextLost: true,
+      throwOnCreate: new Error(
+        'Unable to create the shader: VERTEX_SHADER. WebGlContext Error: 37442',
+      ),
+    });
+
+    const result = mgr.createShader('TestShader' as never);
+
+    expect(result).toBe(defShaderNode);
+  });
+
+  it('rethrows when the failure is not a lost context (genuine compile error)', () => {
+    const err = new Error('Vertex shader creation failed');
+    const { mgr } = makeManager({ isContextLost: false, throwOnCreate: err });
+
+    expect(() => mgr.createShader('TestShader' as never)).toThrow(err);
+  });
+
+  it('does not cache a failed program', () => {
+    const { mgr, createShaderProgram } = makeManager({
+      isContextLost: true,
+      throwOnCreate: new Error('boom'),
+    });
+
+    mgr.createShader('TestShader' as never);
+    mgr.createShader('TestShader' as never);
+
+    // Cache miss both times — the failure was never stored.
+    expect(createShaderProgram).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/core/CoreShaderManager.ts b/src/core/CoreShaderManager.ts
index 3050346..1b92bd0 100644
--- a/src/core/CoreShaderManager.ts
+++ b/src/core/CoreShaderManager.ts
@@ -103,8 +103,21 @@ export class CoreShaderManager {
      * if shaderProgram was not found create a new one
      */
     if (shProgram === undefined) {
-      shProgram = this.stage.renderer.createShaderProgram(shType, props)!;
-      this.shCache.set(shaderKey, shProgram);
+      try {
+        shProgram = this.stage.renderer.createShaderProgram(shType, props)!;
+        this.shCache.set(shaderKey, shProgram);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // The renderer trips `isContextLost` when shader creation fails due to
+        // a lost GL context. That is unrecoverable in-place (the consumer
+        // reloads on the `contextLost` event), so fall back to the default
+        // shader node instead of letting the throw propagate through the app's
+        // reactive layer. A genuine GLSL compile error (context not lost) is a
+        // real bug and is rethrown so it surfaces loudly.
+        if (this.stage.isContextLost === true) {
+          return this.stage.defShaderNode;
+        }
+        throw e;
+      }
     }
 
     return this.stage.renderer.createShaderNode(
diff --git a/src/core/lib/WebGlContextWrapper.ts b/src/core/lib/WebGlContextWrapper.ts
index c15477e..c0896f2 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/WebGlContextWrapper.ts
+++ b/src/core/lib/WebGlContextWrapper.ts
@@ -1190,6 +1190,22 @@ export class WebGlContextWrapper {
     return this.gl.getError();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * ```
+   * gl.isContextLost();
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @remarks
+   * Reports the current lost state directly and is not consumed like
+   * `getError()` (whose `CONTEXT_LOST_WEBGL` flag is cleared on first read).
+   * Use this to detect a lost context after a GL call has already failed.
+   *
+   * @returns
+   */
+  isContextLost() {
+    return this.gl.isContextLost();
+  }
+
   /**
    * ```
    * gl.getAttribLocation(program, name);
diff --git a/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.contextLoss.test.ts b/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.contextLoss.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..993070a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.contextLoss.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/**
+ * Tests for WebGlRenderer.createShaderProgram's context-loss handling.
+ *
+ * When the GL context is lost, gl.createShader() returns null and getError()
+ * reports CONTEXT_LOST_WEBGL (0x9242 / 37442). That can happen on the app's
+ * reactive stack before the async `webglcontextlost` event fires, so the
+ * renderer trips `stage.setContextLost()` itself when it detects a lost
+ * context — but only then; genuine compile errors are rethrown untouched.
+ */
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { WebGlRenderer } from './WebGlRenderer.js';
+import type { WebGlShaderType } from './WebGlShaderNode.js';
+
+function makeRenderer(isContextLost: boolean) {
+  const setContextLost = vi.fn();
+  // Minimal glw that drives the WebGlShaderProgram constructor straight to the
+  // "Unable to create the shader" throw (createShader returns null).
+  const glw = {
+    VERTEX_SHADER: 0x8b31,
+    getExtension: () => ({}),
+    createShader: () => null,
+    getError: () => 37442,
+    isContextLost: () => isContextLost,
+  };
+  const renderer = Object.create(WebGlRenderer.prototype) as WebGlRenderer;
+  (renderer as unknown as { glw: unknown }).glw = glw;
+  (renderer as unknown as { stage: unknown }).stage = { setContextLost };
+
+  const config = { vertex: 'v', fragment: 'f' } as unknown as WebGlShaderType;
+  return { renderer, config, setContextLost };
+}
+
+describe('WebGlRenderer.createShaderProgram — context loss', () => {
+  it('trips setContextLost and rethrows when the context is lost', () => {
+    const { renderer, config, setContextLost } = makeRenderer(true);
+
+    expect(() => renderer.createShaderProgram(config, {})).toThrow(
+      /Unable to create the shader/,
+    );
+    expect(setContextLost).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('rethrows without tripping setContextLost when the context is healthy', () => {
+    const { renderer, config, setContextLost } = makeRenderer(false);
+
+    expect(() => renderer.createShaderProgram(config, {})).toThrow();
+    expect(setContextLost).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.ts b/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.ts
index 8fbaccc..393bf2d 100644
--- a/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.ts
+++ b/src/core/renderers/webgl/WebGlRenderer.ts
@@ -385,7 +385,19 @@ export class WebGlRenderer extends CoreRenderer {
     shaderType: WebGlShaderType,
     props: Record<string, unknown>,
   ): WebGlShaderProgram {
-    return new WebGlShaderProgram(this, shaderType, props);
+    try {
+      return new WebGlShaderProgram(this, shaderType, props);
+    } catch (e) {
+      // A lost GL context makes shader creation/compilation fail synchronously
+      // (gl.createShader returns null -> CONTEXT_LOST_WEBGL). This can run on
+      // the app's reactive stack before the async `webglcontextlost` event is
+      // processed, so trip the flag here too. setContextLost() is idempotent
+      // and emits `contextLost` for consumers (recovery is an app reload).
+      if (this.glw.isContextLost() === true) {
+        this.stage.setContextLost();
+      }
+      throw e;
+    }
   }
 
   createShaderNode(