diff --git a/src/jit/gentree.cpp b/src/jit/gentree.cpp
index e97e14fccce9..9503206874ce 100644
--- a/src/jit/gentree.cpp
+++ b/src/jit/gentree.cpp
@@ -9915,7 +9915,7 @@ void Compiler::gtDispRegVal(GenTree* tree)
         // 0th reg is gtRegNum, which is already printed above.
         // Print the remaining regs of a multi-reg call node.
         GenTreeCall* call     = tree->AsCall();
-        unsigned     regCount = call->GetReturnTypeDesc()->GetReturnRegCount();
+        unsigned     regCount = call->GetReturnTypeDesc()->TryGetReturnRegCount();
         for (unsigned i = 1; i < regCount; ++i)
         {
             printf(",%s", compRegVarName(call->GetRegNumByIdx(i)));
@@ -9925,7 +9925,7 @@ void Compiler::gtDispRegVal(GenTree* tree)
     {
         GenTreeCopyOrReload* copyOrReload = tree->AsCopyOrReload();
         GenTreeCall*         call         = tree->gtGetOp1()->AsCall();
-        unsigned             regCount     = call->GetReturnTypeDesc()->GetReturnRegCount();
+        unsigned             regCount     = call->GetReturnTypeDesc()->TryGetReturnRegCount();
         for (unsigned i = 1; i < regCount; ++i)
         {
             printf(",%s", compRegVarName(copyOrReload->GetRegNumByIdx(i)));
diff --git a/src/jit/gentree.h b/src/jit/gentree.h
index 557e28189c2d..08154367cb31 100644
--- a/src/jit/gentree.h
+++ b/src/jit/gentree.h
@@ -3171,6 +3171,15 @@ struct ReturnTypeDesc
 #endif
     }
 
+#ifdef DEBUG
+    // NOTE: we only use this function when writing out IR dumps. These dumps may take place before the ReturnTypeDesc
+    // has been initialized.
+    unsigned TryGetReturnRegCount() const
+    {
+        return m_inited ? GetReturnRegCount() : 0;
+    }
+#endif // DEBUG
+
     //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // GetReturnRegCount:  Get the count of return registers in which the return value is returned.
     //