diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/acero/asof_join_node_test.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/acero/asof_join_node_test.cc
index 5d3e9fba08bbf..c338d9e50f9c4 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/acero/asof_join_node_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/acero/asof_join_node_test.cc
@@ -1731,6 +1731,33 @@ TEST(AsofJoinTest, RhsEmptinessRaceEmptyBy) {
       ExecBatchFromJSON({int64(), utf8()}, R"([[1, "Z"], [2, "Z"], [3, "B"]])");
   AssertExecBatchesEqualIgnoringOrder(result.schema, {exp_batch}, result.batches);
 }
+// Reproduction of GH-44526: Provoke destruction of not started asofjoin node by providing
+// a sink that fails on creation
+TEST(AsofJoinTest, DetroyNotStartedAsofJoinNode) {
+  auto left_batch = ExecBatchFromJSON({int64()}, R"([[1], [2], [3]])");
+  auto right_batch =
+      ExecBatchFromJSON({utf8(), int64()}, R"([["Z", 2], ["B", 3], ["A", 4]])");
+
+  Declaration left{"exec_batch_source",
+                   ExecBatchSourceNodeOptions(schema({field("on", int64())}),
+                                              {std::move(left_batch)})};
+  Declaration right{
+      "exec_batch_source",
+      ExecBatchSourceNodeOptions(schema({field("colVals", utf8()), field("on", int64())}),
+                                 {std::move(right_batch)})};
+  AsofJoinNodeOptions asof_join_opts({{{"on"}, {}}, {{"on"}, {}}}, 1);
+  Declaration asof_join{
+      "asofjoin", {std::move(left), std::move(right)}, std::move(asof_join_opts)};
 
+  arrow::acero::SinkNodeOptions sink_node_options{nullptr, nullptr};
+  arrow::acero::Declaration sink =
+      arrow::acero::Declaration::Sequence({asof_join, {"sink", sink_node_options}});
+
+  EXPECT_RAISES_WITH_MESSAGE_THAT(
+      Invalid,
+      ::testing::HasSubstr(
+          "`generator` is a required SinkNode option and cannot be null"),
+      DeclarationToStatus(std::move(sink)));
+}
 }  // namespace acero
 }  // namespace arrow