diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 72cf30bc1..427fa42f5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 11.20.1
+- **FIX**: Resolve issue where DeferPointer shows an error when the hero animations is running for the text layers from the custom screens.
+
 ## 11.20.0
 - **FEAT**(main-editor): Add the flag `enableSubEditorPage` which allows sub-editors to be opened with the same constraints as the editor itself. More details in PR [#752](https://github.com/hm21/pro_image_editor/pull/752).
 
diff --git a/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/defer_pointer.dart b/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/defer_pointer.dart
index 2d4527456..3ce157835 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/defer_pointer.dart
+++ b/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/defer_pointer.dart
@@ -32,7 +32,12 @@ class DeferPointer extends StatelessWidget {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
-    final link = this.link ?? DeferredPointerHandler.of(context).link;
+    final link = this.link ?? DeferredPointerHandler.maybeOf(context)?.link;
+
+    if (link == null) {
+      return child;
+    }
+
     return _DeferPointerRenderObjectWidget(
       link: link,
       deferPaint: paintOnTop,
diff --git a/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/deferred_pointer_handler.dart b/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/deferred_pointer_handler.dart
index c13ebdcbc..33a4149a4 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/deferred_pointer_handler.dart
+++ b/lib/plugins/defer_pointer/deferred_pointer_handler.dart
@@ -22,13 +22,20 @@ class DeferredPointerHandler extends StatefulWidget {
   DeferredPointerHandlerState createState() => DeferredPointerHandlerState();
 
   /// The state from the closest instance of this class that encloses the given
-  /// context.
-  static DeferredPointerHandlerState of(BuildContext context) {
+  /// context, or null if there is no instance in the tree.
+  static DeferredPointerHandlerState? maybeOf(BuildContext context) {
     final inherited = context
         .dependOnInheritedWidgetOfExactType<_InheritedDeferredPaintSurface>();
-    assert(inherited != null,
-        'DeferredPaintSurface was not found on this context.');
-    return inherited!.state;
+    return inherited?.state;
+  }
+
+  /// The state from the closest instance of this class that encloses the given
+  /// context.
+  static DeferredPointerHandlerState of(BuildContext context) {
+    final DeferredPointerHandlerState? result = maybeOf(context);
+    assert(
+        result != null, 'DeferredPaintSurface was not found on this context.');
+    return result!;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 83ed70679..e989673d6 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: pro_image_editor
 description: "A Flutter image editor: Seamlessly enhance your images with user-friendly editing features."
-version: 11.20.0
+version: 11.20.1
 homepage: https://github.com/hm21/pro_image_editor/
 repository: https://github.com/hm21/pro_image_editor/
 documentation: https://github.com/hm21/pro_image_editor/