diff --git a/core/src/components/decorate-internal-refs/decorate-internal-refs.tsx b/core/src/components/decorate-internal-refs/decorate-internal-refs.tsx
index 0796740b..3a8f83d7 100644
--- a/core/src/components/decorate-internal-refs/decorate-internal-refs.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/decorate-internal-refs/decorate-internal-refs.tsx
@@ -109,7 +109,14 @@ export class DecorateInternalRefs {
     if (this.akomaNtosoElement) {
       const href: string = tippy.reference.getAttribute('href') || '';
       let html: string | null = '';
-      const provision: HTMLElement | null = this.akomaNtosoElement.querySelector(href);
+      let provision: HTMLElement | null = null;
+
+      try {
+        provision = this.akomaNtosoElement.querySelector(href);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // ignore query selector errors
+        console.log(e);
+      }
 
       if (provision) {
         html = provision.outerHTML;
diff --git a/core/src/components/decorate-terms/decorate-terms.tsx b/core/src/components/decorate-terms/decorate-terms.tsx
index a88da88d..41dd4425 100644
--- a/core/src/components/decorate-terms/decorate-terms.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/decorate-terms/decorate-terms.tsx
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ export class DecorateTerms {
     const term = reference.getAttribute('data-refersto');
     // find where the term is defined
     if (this.akomaNtosoElement) {
-      return this.akomaNtosoElement.querySelector(`[data-defines="${term}"]`);
+      try {
+        return this.akomaNtosoElement.querySelector(`[data-defines="${term}"]`);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // ignore query selector errors
+        console.log(e);
+      }
     }
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/core/src/components/gutter/layout.ts b/core/src/components/gutter/layout.ts
index c9fb9590..2be8cfce 100644
--- a/core/src/components/gutter/layout.ts
+++ b/core/src/components/gutter/layout.ts
@@ -143,7 +143,12 @@ export class GutterLayout {
       if (item.anchor instanceof HTMLElement) {
         return this.root.contains(item.anchor) ? item.anchor : null;
       } else {
-        return this.root.querySelector(item.anchor);
+        try {
+          return this.root.querySelector(item.anchor);
+        } catch (e) {
+          // ignore query selector errors
+          console.log(e);
+        }
       }
     }
     return null;
diff --git a/core/src/utils/linking.ts b/core/src/utils/linking.ts
index f9d45877..06afb4e6 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/linking.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/linking.ts
@@ -55,9 +55,15 @@ export class AkomaNtosoTarget {
 
   findElement(): HTMLElement | null {
     if (this.selector) {
-      return this.selector instanceof HTMLElement
-        ? this.selector
-        : this.component.ownerDocument.querySelector(this.selector);
+      try {
+        return this.selector instanceof HTMLElement
+          ? this.selector
+          : this.component.ownerDocument.querySelector(this.selector);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // fail on query selector errors
+        console.log(e);
+        return null;
+      }
     }
 
     // try the nearest ancestor