diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/breakpoints/notebookBreakpoints.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/breakpoints/notebookBreakpoints.ts
index b292a5bcbf296..4610dde5ac23b 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/breakpoints/notebookBreakpoints.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/contrib/breakpoints/notebookBreakpoints.ts
@@ -181,11 +181,13 @@ class NotebookCellPausing extends Disposable implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 				internalMetadata.didPause = true;
 			}
 
-			notebookModel?.applyEdits([{
-				editType: CellEditType.PartialInternalMetadata,
-				handle: parsed.handle,
-				internalMetadata,
-			}], true, undefined, () => undefined, undefined);
+			if (notebookModel?.checkCellExistence(parsed.handle)) {
+				notebookModel?.applyEdits([{
+					editType: CellEditType.PartialInternalMetadata,
+					handle: parsed.handle,
+					internalMetadata,
+				}], true, undefined, () => undefined, undefined);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/model/notebookTextModel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/model/notebookTextModel.ts
index af4a1525fbd2e..c6ebc80fc3636 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/model/notebookTextModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/model/notebookTextModel.ts
@@ -381,6 +381,10 @@ export class NotebookTextModel extends Disposable implements INotebookTextModel
 		return this.cells.findIndex(c => !!c.outputs.find(o => o.outputId === outputId));
 	}
 
+	checkCellExistence(handle: number) {
+		return this._cellListeners.has(handle);
+	}
+
 	reset(cells: ICellDto2[], metadata: NotebookDocumentMetadata, transientOptions: TransientOptions): void {
 		this.transientOptions = transientOptions;
 		this._cellhandlePool = 0;