diff --git a/packages/block-editor/README.md b/packages/block-editor/README.md
index b36d411125abba..a1d4238164b99a 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/README.md
+++ b/packages/block-editor/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {
 	WritingFlow,
 	ObserveTyping
 } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
-import { Popover } from '@wordpress/components';
+import { SlotFillProvider, Popover } from '@wordpress/components';
 import { useState } from '@wordpress/element';
 
 function MyEditorComponent () {
@@ -33,13 +33,15 @@ function MyEditorComponent () {
 			onInput={ updateBlocks }
 			onChange={ updateBlocks }
 		>
-			<Popover.Slot name="block-toolbar" />
-			<WritingFlow>
-				<ObserveTyping>
-					<BlockList />
-				</ObserveTyping>
-			</WritingFlow>
-			<Popover.Slot />
+			<SlotFillProvider>
+				<Popover.Slot name="block-toolbar" />
+				<WritingFlow>
+					<ObserveTyping>
+						<BlockList />
+					</ObserveTyping>
+				</WritingFlow>
+				<Popover.Slot />
+			</SlotFillProvider>
 		</BlockEditorProvider>
 	);
 }
diff --git a/packages/components/src/slot-fill/bubbles-virtually/slot-fill-context.js b/packages/components/src/slot-fill/bubbles-virtually/slot-fill-context.js
index 1fb905a56ffc98..dda3be6b82693e 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/slot-fill/bubbles-virtually/slot-fill-context.js
+++ b/packages/components/src/slot-fill/bubbles-virtually/slot-fill-context.js
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@
  * WordPress dependencies
  */
 import { createContext } from '@wordpress/element';
+import warning from '@wordpress/warning';
 
 const SlotFillContext = createContext( {
 	slots: {},
 	fills: {},
-	registerSlot: () => {},
+	registerSlot: () => {
+		warning(
+			'Components must be wrapped within `SlotFillProvider`. ' +
+				'See https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/components/slot-fill/'
+		);
+	},
 	updateSlot: () => {},
 	unregisterSlot: () => {},
 	registerFill: () => {},
diff --git a/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/__snapshots__/slot.js.snap b/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/__snapshots__/slot.js.snap
index bfac447c806050..6abf490ed1d12f 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/__snapshots__/slot.js.snap
+++ b/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/__snapshots__/slot.js.snap
@@ -1,11 +1,5 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
-exports[`Slot bubblesVirtually false should not break without a Provider 1`] = `
-<div>
-  <div />
-</div>
-`;
-
 exports[`Slot bubblesVirtually false should subsume another slot by the same name 1`] = `
 <div>
   <div
@@ -43,14 +37,6 @@ exports[`Slot bubblesVirtually false should unmount two slots with the same name
 </div>
 `;
 
-exports[`Slot bubblesVirtually true should not break without a Provider 1`] = `
-<div>
-  <div>
-    <div />
-  </div>
-</div>
-`;
-
 exports[`Slot bubblesVirtually true should subsume another slot by the same name 1`] = `
 <div>
   <div
@@ -178,3 +164,11 @@ exports[`Slot should render in expected order 1`] = `
   />
 </div>
 `;
+
+exports[`Slot should warn without a Provider 1`] = `
+<div>
+  <div>
+    <div />
+  </div>
+</div>
+`;
diff --git a/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/slot.js b/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/slot.js
index fd639c888ec52b..b7b7365d16e8a7 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/slot.js
+++ b/packages/components/src/slot-fill/test/slot.js
@@ -208,6 +208,20 @@ describe( 'Slot', () => {
 		expect( container ).toMatchSnapshot();
 	} );
 
+	it( 'should warn without a Provider', () => {
+		const { container } = render(
+			<>
+				<div>
+					<Slot name="chicken" bubblesVirtually />
+				</div>
+				<Fill name="chicken" />
+			</>
+		);
+
+		expect( container ).toMatchSnapshot();
+		expect( console ).toHaveWarned();
+	} );
+
 	describe.each( [ false, true ] )(
 		'bubblesVirtually %p',
 		( bubblesVirtually ) => {
@@ -300,22 +314,6 @@ describe( 'Slot', () => {
 				);
 				expect( container ).toMatchSnapshot();
 			} );
-
-			it( 'should not break without a Provider', () => {
-				const { container } = render(
-					<>
-						<div>
-							<Slot
-								name="chicken"
-								bubblesVirtually={ bubblesVirtually }
-							/>
-						</div>
-						<Fill name="chicken" />
-					</>
-				);
-
-				expect( container ).toMatchSnapshot();
-			} );
 		}
 	);
 } );