diff --git a/lib/DraggableCore.tsx b/lib/DraggableCore.tsx
index c7f80043..91e434dc 100644
--- a/lib/DraggableCore.tsx
+++ b/lib/DraggableCore.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ const eventsFor = {
 // Default to mouse events.
 let dragEventFor = eventsFor.mouse;
 
+// ReactDOM.findDOMNode was removed in React 19
+const legacyReactDOM = ReactDOM as unknown as {findDOMNode?: (instance: React.Component) => HTMLElement | null};
+
 export type DraggableCoreDefaultProps = {
   allowAnyClick: boolean,
   allowMobileScroll: boolean,
@@ -269,6 +272,8 @@ export default class DraggableCore extends React.Component<Partial<DraggableCore
 
   mounted: boolean = false;
 
+  warnedMissingNodeRef: boolean = false;
+
   componentDidMount() {
     this.mounted = true;
     // Touch handlers must be added with {passive: false} to be cancelable.
@@ -301,16 +306,19 @@ export default class DraggableCore extends React.Component<Partial<DraggableCore
     if (this.props?.nodeRef) {
       return this.props.nodeRef.current;
     }
-    // ReactDOM.findDOMNode was removed in React 19
-    const legacyReactDOM = ReactDOM as unknown as {findDOMNode?: (instance: React.Component) => HTMLElement | null};
     if (typeof legacyReactDOM.findDOMNode === 'function') {
       return legacyReactDOM.findDOMNode(this);
     }
-    // In React 19+, nodeRef is required - log a warning via our log utility
-    log(
-      'react-draggable: ReactDOM.findDOMNode is not available in React 19+. ' +
-      'You must provide a nodeRef prop. See: https://github.com/react-grid-layout/react-draggable#noderef'
-    );
+    // In React 19+, nodeRef is required. Warn once per instance; `log` is a no-op
+    // unless DRAGGABLE_DEBUG is set, so users would never see it.
+    if (!this.warnedMissingNodeRef) {
+      this.warnedMissingNodeRef = true;
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.warn(
+        'react-draggable: ReactDOM.findDOMNode is not available in React 19+. ' +
+        'You must provide a nodeRef prop. See: https://github.com/react-grid-layout/react-draggable#using-noderef'
+      );
+    }
     return null;
   }
 
@@ -324,6 +332,12 @@ export default class DraggableCore extends React.Component<Partial<DraggableCore
     // Get nodes. Be sure to grab relative document (could be iframed)
     const thisNode = this.findDOMNode();
     if (!thisNode || !thisNode.ownerDocument || !thisNode.ownerDocument.body) {
+      if (!this.props.nodeRef && typeof legacyReactDOM.findDOMNode !== 'function') {
+        throw new Error(
+          '<DraggableCore> has no DOM node on DragStart: no nodeRef prop was provided, and ReactDOM.findDOMNode ' +
+          'is not available in React 19+. See: https://github.com/react-grid-layout/react-draggable#using-noderef'
+        );
+      }
       throw new Error('<DraggableCore> not mounted on DragStart!');
     }
     const {ownerDocument} = thisNode;
diff --git a/test/Draggable.test.jsx b/test/Draggable.test.jsx
index 54601988..e835311a 100644
--- a/test/Draggable.test.jsx
+++ b/test/Draggable.test.jsx
@@ -431,4 +431,53 @@ describe('Draggable', () => {
       expect(container.firstChild).toBeTruthy();
     });
   });
+
+  // These run on React 19, which has no ReactDOM.findDOMNode.
+  describe('missing nodeRef', () => {
+    it('should warn once on mount when nodeRef is not provided', () => {
+      const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+      render(
+        <Draggable>
+          <div />
+        </Draggable>
+      );
+
+      expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(warnSpy.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('nodeRef');
+      expect(warnSpy.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('#using-noderef');
+      warnSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+
+    it('should warn only once under StrictMode', () => {
+      const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+      render(
+        <React.StrictMode>
+          <Draggable>
+            <div />
+          </Draggable>
+        </React.StrictMode>
+      );
+
+      expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      warnSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+
+    it('should not warn when nodeRef is provided', () => {
+      const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+
+      const { container } = render(
+        <DraggableWrapper>
+          <div />
+        </DraggableWrapper>
+      );
+      act(() => {
+        simulateDrag(container.firstChild, { from: { x: 0, y: 0 }, to: { x: 100, y: 100 } });
+      });
+
+      expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      warnSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/DraggableCore.test.jsx b/test/DraggableCore.test.jsx
index 11ed75cd..2dacf53b 100644
--- a/test/DraggableCore.test.jsx
+++ b/test/DraggableCore.test.jsx
@@ -620,5 +620,36 @@ describe('DraggableCore', () => {
       expect(threw).toBe(true);
       errorSpy.mockRestore();
     });
+
+    it('should name nodeRef in the drag start error when nodeRef is not provided', () => {
+      const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      const coreRef = React.createRef();
+      render(
+        <DraggableCore ref={coreRef}>
+          <div />
+        </DraggableCore>
+      );
+
+      // React 19 has no ReactDOM.findDOMNode, so without nodeRef there is no node to drag.
+      expect(() => coreRef.current.handleDragStart(new MouseEvent('mousedown'))).toThrow(/nodeRef/);
+      // The warning from mount is not repeated on drag start.
+      expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      warnSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+
+    it('should keep the old drag start error when nodeRef is provided but not attached', () => {
+      const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      const coreRef = React.createRef();
+      const nodeRef = React.createRef();
+      render(
+        <DraggableCore ref={coreRef} nodeRef={nodeRef}>
+          <div />
+        </DraggableCore>
+      );
+
+      expect(() => coreRef.current.handleDragStart(new MouseEvent('mousedown'))).toThrow('<DraggableCore> not mounted on DragStart!');
+      expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      warnSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
   });
 });