diff --git a/core/src/components/refresher/refresher.tsx b/core/src/components/refresher/refresher.tsx
index ecd27fd0965..153f4cc6f76 100644
--- a/core/src/components/refresher/refresher.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/refresher/refresher.tsx
@@ -512,11 +512,19 @@ export class Refresher implements ComponentInterface {
     this.checkNativeRefresher();
   }
 
-  async connectedCallback() {
+  /**
+   * Validate the slot attribute before rendering, while the host still reflects the
+   * developer's original markup. `connectedCallback` is too early: in the custom
+   * elements build it runs during insertion, before frameworks such as React assign
+   * the slot.
+   */
+  componentWillLoad() {
     if (this.el.getAttribute('slot') !== 'fixed') {
       printIonError('[ion-refresher] - Make sure you use: <ion-refresher slot="fixed">');
-      return;
     }
+  }
+
+  async connectedCallback() {
     const contentEl = this.el.closest(ION_CONTENT_ELEMENT_SELECTOR);
     if (!contentEl) {
       printIonContentErrorMsg(this.el);
diff --git a/core/src/components/refresher/test/slot-validation/refresher.e2e.ts b/core/src/components/refresher/test/slot-validation/refresher.e2e.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..952c2e4125a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/components/refresher/test/slot-validation/refresher.e2e.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { expect } from '@playwright/test';
+import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
+import { configs, dragElementByYAxis, test } from '@utils/test/playwright';
+
+const collectConsoleErrors = (page: Page) => {
+  const logs: string[] = [];
+
+  page.on('console', (msg) => {
+    if (msg.type() === 'error') {
+      logs.push(msg.text());
+    }
+  });
+
+  return logs;
+};
+
+const SLOT_ERROR = '[Ionic Error]: [ion-refresher] - Make sure you use: <ion-refresher slot="fixed">';
+
+/**
+ * Rendering puts `slot="fixed"` on the host, so a refresher whose markup omits the
+ * slot still ends up in the right place and has to work. Frameworks that assign the
+ * slot after inserting the element start out the same way.
+ *
+ * This behavior does not vary across directions.
+ */
+configs({ directions: ['ltr'] }).forEach(({ title, config }) => {
+  test.describe(title('refresher: slot validation'), () => {
+    test('should still set up the pull-to-refresh gesture when the slot is missing', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
+      testInfo.annotations.push({
+        type: 'issue',
+        description: 'https://github.com/ionic-team/ionic-framework/issues/31376',
+      });
+
+      await page.setContent(
+        `
+        <ion-content>
+          <ion-refresher>
+            <ion-refresher-content></ion-refresher-content>
+          </ion-refresher>
+
+          <div style="height: 200vh"></div>
+        </ion-content>
+      `,
+        config
+      );
+      /**
+       * Gesture setup runs behind a dynamic import, so dragging straight after
+       * setContent can land before the refresher is listening.
+       */
+      await page.locator('ion-refresher.hydrated').waitFor({ state: 'attached' });
+
+      const ionRefresh = await page.spyOnEvent('ionRefresh');
+
+      await dragElementByYAxis(page.locator('body'), page, 320);
+
+      await expect.poll(() => ionRefresh.events.length).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    test('should report an error telling the developer to add the slot', async ({ page }) => {
+      const logs = collectConsoleErrors(page);
+
+      await page.setContent(
+        `
+        <ion-content>
+          <ion-refresher>
+            <ion-refresher-content></ion-refresher-content>
+          </ion-refresher>
+        </ion-content>
+      `,
+        config
+      );
+      await page.locator('ion-refresher.hydrated').waitFor({ state: 'attached' });
+
+      expect(logs.length).toBe(1);
+      expect(logs[0]).toContain(SLOT_ERROR);
+    });
+
+    test('should not report an error when the slot is set', async ({ page }) => {
+      const logs = collectConsoleErrors(page);
+
+      await page.setContent(
+        `
+        <ion-content>
+          <ion-refresher slot="fixed">
+            <ion-refresher-content></ion-refresher-content>
+          </ion-refresher>
+        </ion-content>
+      `,
+        config
+      );
+      await page.locator('ion-refresher.hydrated').waitFor({ state: 'attached' });
+
+      expect(logs).toEqual([]);
+    });
+  });
+});