diff --git a/protocol/group/selector.go b/protocol/group/selector.go
index f3f7377b61..86aa73c623 100644
--- a/protocol/group/selector.go
+++ b/protocol/group/selector.go
@@ -141,7 +141,11 @@ func (s *Selector) SelectOutbound(tag string) bool {
 }
 
 func (s *Selector) DialContext(ctx context.Context, network string, destination M.Socksaddr) (net.Conn, error) {
-	conn, err := s.selected.Load().DialContext(ctx, network, destination)
+	selected := s.selected.Load()
+	if selected == nil {
+		return nil, E.New("no selected outbound")
+	}
+	conn, err := selected.DialContext(ctx, network, destination)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -149,7 +153,11 @@ func (s *Selector) DialContext(ctx context.Context, network string, destination
 }
 
 func (s *Selector) ListenPacket(ctx context.Context, destination M.Socksaddr) (net.PacketConn, error) {
-	conn, err := s.selected.Load().ListenPacket(ctx, destination)
+	selected := s.selected.Load()
+	if selected == nil {
+		return nil, E.New("no selected outbound")
+	}
+	conn, err := selected.ListenPacket(ctx, destination)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -159,6 +167,10 @@ func (s *Selector) ListenPacket(ctx context.Context, destination M.Socksaddr) (n
 func (s *Selector) NewConnectionEx(ctx context.Context, conn net.Conn, metadata adapter.InboundContext, onClose N.CloseHandlerFunc) {
 	ctx = interrupt.ContextWithIsExternalConnection(ctx)
 	selected := s.selected.Load()
+	if selected == nil {
+		N.CloseOnHandshakeFailure(conn, onClose, E.New("no selected outbound"))
+		return
+	}
 	if outboundHandler, isHandler := selected.(adapter.ConnectionHandlerEx); isHandler {
 		outboundHandler.NewConnectionEx(ctx, conn, metadata, onClose)
 	} else {
@@ -169,6 +181,10 @@ func (s *Selector) NewConnectionEx(ctx context.Context, conn net.Conn, metadata
 func (s *Selector) NewPacketConnectionEx(ctx context.Context, conn N.PacketConn, metadata adapter.InboundContext, onClose N.CloseHandlerFunc) {
 	ctx = interrupt.ContextWithIsExternalConnection(ctx)
 	selected := s.selected.Load()
+	if selected == nil {
+		N.CloseOnHandshakeFailure(conn, onClose, E.New("no selected outbound"))
+		return
+	}
 	if outboundHandler, isHandler := selected.(adapter.PacketConnectionHandlerEx); isHandler {
 		outboundHandler.NewPacketConnectionEx(ctx, conn, metadata, onClose)
 	} else {
@@ -178,6 +194,9 @@ func (s *Selector) NewPacketConnectionEx(ctx context.Context, conn N.PacketConn,
 
 func (s *Selector) NewDirectRouteConnection(metadata adapter.InboundContext, routeContext tun.DirectRouteContext, timeout time.Duration) (tun.DirectRouteDestination, error) {
 	selected := s.selected.Load()
+	if selected == nil {
+		return nil, E.New("no selected outbound")
+	}
 	if !common.Contains(selected.Network(), metadata.Network) {
 		return nil, E.New(metadata.Network, " is not supported by outbound: ", selected.Tag())
 	}