diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
index 52fe7f9..71d34f2 100644
--- a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ static BOOL AFSecKeyIsEqualToKey(SecKeyRef key1, SecKeyRef key2) {
 #endif
 
 - (id)initWithRequest:(NSURLRequest *)urlRequest {
+    NSParameterAssert(urlRequest);
+
     self = [super init];
     if (!self) {
 		return nil;
diff --git a/Tests/AFURLConnectionOperationTests.m b/Tests/AFURLConnectionOperationTests.m
index 7982789..4b3cbe3 100644
--- a/Tests/AFURLConnectionOperationTests.m
+++ b/Tests/AFURLConnectionOperationTests.m
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@
 
 #pragma mark -
 
+- (void)testInitWithNilRequestRaisesException {
+    expect(^{ (void)[[AFURLConnectionOperation alloc] initWithRequest:nil]; }).to.raiseAny();
+}
+
 - (void)testThatAFURLConnectionOperationInvokesWillSendRequestForAuthenticationChallengeBlock {
     NSURLRequest *request = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:@"/path" relativeToURL:self.baseURL]];
     AFURLConnectionOperation *operation = [[AFURLConnectionOperation alloc] initWithRequest:request];