diff --git a/packages/kit/src/context.ts b/packages/kit/src/context.ts
index 05bd70db76..0ddbfdf159 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/context.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/context.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,39 @@ import type { Nuxt } from '@nuxt/schema'
 /** Direct access to the Nuxt context - see https://github.com/unjs/unctx. */
 export const nuxtCtx = getContext<Nuxt>('nuxt')
 
+// TODO: Use use/tryUse from unctx. https://github.com/unjs/unctx/issues/6
+
 /**
- * Get access to Nuxt (if run within the Nuxt context) - see https://github.com/unjs/unctx.
+ * Get access to Nuxt instance.
+ *
+ * Throws an error if Nuxt instance is unavailable.
  *
  * @example
  * ```js
  * const nuxt = useNuxt()
  * ```
  */
-export const useNuxt = nuxtCtx.use
+export function useNuxt (): Nuxt {
+  const instance = nuxtCtx.use()
+  if (!instance) {
+    throw new Error('Nuxt instance is unavailable!')
+  }
+  return instance
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get access to Nuxt instance.
+ *
+ * Returns null if Nuxt instance is unavailable.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```js
+ * const nuxt = tryUseNuxt()
+ * if (nuxt) {
+ *  // Do something
+ * }
+ * ```
+ */
+export function tryUseNuxt (): Nuxt | null {
+  return nuxtCtx.use()
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/ignore.ts b/packages/kit/src/ignore.ts
index 2b348d5d02..022d7db28d 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/ignore.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/ignore.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 import { existsSync, readFileSync } from 'fs'
 import ignore from 'ignore'
 import { join, relative } from 'pathe'
-import { useNuxt } from './context'
+import { tryUseNuxt } from './context'
 
 /**
  * Return a filter function to filter an array of paths
  */
 export function isIgnored (pathname: string): boolean {
-  const nuxt = useNuxt()
+  const nuxt = tryUseNuxt()
+
+  // Happens with CLI reloads
+  if (!nuxt) {
+    return null
+  }
 
   if (!nuxt._ignore) {
     nuxt._ignore = ignore(nuxt.options.ignoreOptions)
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/module/define.ts b/packages/kit/src/module/define.ts
index b8da0c0780..48268f29a1 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/module/define.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/module/define.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { applyDefaults } from 'untyped'
 import { dirname } from 'pathe'
 import type { Nuxt, NuxtTemplate, NuxtModule, ModuleOptions, ModuleDefinition } from '@nuxt/schema'
 import { logger } from '../logger'
-import { useNuxt, nuxtCtx } from '../context'
+import { useNuxt, nuxtCtx, tryUseNuxt } from '../context'
 import { isNuxt2, checkNuxtCompatibility } from '../compatibility'
 import { templateUtils, compileTemplate } from '../internal/template'
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export function defineNuxtModule<OptionsT extends ModuleOptions> (definition: Mo
   // Module format is always a simple function
   async function normalizedModule (inlineOptions: OptionsT, nuxt: Nuxt) {
     if (!nuxt) {
-      nuxt = useNuxt() || this.nuxt /* invoked by nuxt 2 */
+      nuxt = tryUseNuxt() || this.nuxt /* invoked by nuxt 2 */
     }
 
     // Avoid duplicate installs
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/resolve.ts b/packages/kit/src/resolve.ts
index 01b9410976..ee7be7b6ad 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/resolve.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/resolve.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { promises as fsp, existsSync } from 'fs'
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
 import { basename, dirname, resolve, join, normalize, isAbsolute } from 'pathe'
 import { globby } from 'globby'
-import { useNuxt } from './context'
+import { tryUseNuxt, useNuxt } from './context'
 import { tryResolveModule } from './internal/cjs'
 import { isIgnored } from './ignore'
 
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export async function findPath (paths: string|string[], opts?: ResolvePathOption
  */
 export function resolveAlias (path: string, alias?: Record<string, string>): string {
   if (!alias) {
-    alias = useNuxt()?.options.alias || {}
+    alias = tryUseNuxt()?.options.alias || {}
   }
   for (const key in alias) {
     if (key === '@' && !path.startsWith('@/')) { continue } // Don't resolve @foo/bar