diff --git a/src/spatialdata_plot/pl/utils.py b/src/spatialdata_plot/pl/utils.py
index bcdcb0dd..a0aeba36 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata_plot/pl/utils.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata_plot/pl/utils.py
@@ -2893,6 +2893,13 @@ def _validate_col_for_column_table(
             )
         # Now check which tables contain the column
         resolved_var_name: str | None = None
+        if gene_symbols is not None and not any(gene_symbols in sdata[t].var.columns for t in tables):
+            available = sorted({c for t in tables for c in sdata[t].var.columns})
+            raise KeyError(
+                f"Column '{gene_symbols}' specified in `gene_symbols=` was not found in "
+                f"`adata.var` of any table annotating element '{element_name}'. "
+                f"Available var columns: {available}"
+            )
         for annotates in tables.copy():
             if col_for_color not in sdata[annotates].obs.columns and col_for_color not in sdata[annotates].var_names:
                 if gene_symbols is not None:
diff --git a/tests/pl/test_render_shapes.py b/tests/pl/test_render_shapes.py
index 815071d9..7cacf388 100644
--- a/tests/pl/test_render_shapes.py
+++ b/tests/pl/test_render_shapes.py
@@ -1053,6 +1053,17 @@ def test_gene_symbols_missing_column_raises(sdata_blobs: SpatialData):
         ).pl.show()
 
 
+def test_gene_symbols_missing_column_raises_auto_detect(sdata_blobs: SpatialData):
+    """Typo in gene_symbols= must surface on the auto-detect path, not be swallowed."""
+    sdata_blobs["table"].obs["region"] = pd.Categorical(["blobs_circles"] * sdata_blobs["table"].n_obs)
+    sdata_blobs["table"].uns["spatialdata_attrs"]["region"] = "blobs_circles"
+    sdata_blobs["table"].var["gene_symbol"] = ["GeneA", "GeneB", "GeneC"]
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError, match="`gene_symbols=`"):
+        sdata_blobs.pl.render_shapes(
+            "blobs_circles", color="GeneA", gene_symbols="WRONGCOL"
+        ).pl.show()
+
+
 def test_groups_na_color_none_no_match_shapes(sdata_blobs: SpatialData):
     """When no elements match the groups, the plot should render without error."""
     sdata_blobs["blobs_polygons"]["cat_color"] = pd.Series(["a", "b", "a", "b", "a"], dtype="category")