diff --git a/__tests__/router.spec.ts b/__tests__/router.spec.ts
index a1303e267..e8f49c91b 100644
--- a/__tests__/router.spec.ts
+++ b/__tests__/router.spec.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ describe('Router', () => {
     createDom()
   })
 
+  it('fails if history option is missing', () => {
+    // @ts-ignore
+    expect(() => createRouter({ routes })).toThrowError(
+      'Provide the "history" option'
+    )
+  })
+
   it('starts at START_LOCATION', () => {
     const history = createMemoryHistory()
     const router = createRouter({ history, routes })
diff --git a/src/router.ts b/src/router.ts
index 14158f6d4..c9a8a07e2 100644
--- a/src/router.ts
+++ b/src/router.ts
@@ -343,6 +343,11 @@ export function createRouter(options: RouterOptions): Router {
   let parseQuery = options.parseQuery || originalParseQuery
   let stringifyQuery = options.stringifyQuery || originalStringifyQuery
   let routerHistory = options.history
+  if (__DEV__ && !routerHistory)
+    throw new Error(
+      'Provide the "history" option when calling "createRouter()":' +
+        ' https://next.router.vuejs.org/api/#history.'
+    )
 
   const beforeGuards = useCallbacks<NavigationGuardWithThis<undefined>>()
   const beforeResolveGuards = useCallbacks<NavigationGuardWithThis<undefined>>()