diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 6a5eff3a9..1f411a65d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ Change history for XBlock
 Unreleased
 ----------
 
+5.1.2 - 2025-02-07
+------------------
+
+* throws InvalidScopeError if the scope is not defined
+
 5.1.0 - 2024-08-07
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/xblock/__init__.py b/xblock/__init__.py
index bf676c4f5..1fa8a5fc6 100644
--- a/xblock/__init__.py
+++ b/xblock/__init__.py
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 XBlock Courseware Components
 """
 
-__version__ = '5.1.1'
+__version__ = '5.1.2'
diff --git a/xblock/field_data.py b/xblock/field_data.py
index 7d3d8abbf..faa66e394 100644
--- a/xblock/field_data.py
+++ b/xblock/field_data.py
@@ -145,10 +145,12 @@ def _field_data(self, block, name):
         """Return the field data for the field `name` on the :class:`~xblock.core.XBlock` `block`"""
         scope = block.fields[name].scope
 
-        if scope not in self._scope_mappings:
+        scope_mapping = self._scope_mappings.get(scope)
+
+        if scope_mapping is None:
             raise InvalidScopeError(scope)
 
-        return self._scope_mappings[scope]
+        return scope_mapping
 
     def get(self, block, name):
         return self._field_data(block, name).get(block, name)
diff --git a/xblock/test/test_field_data.py b/xblock/test/test_field_data.py
index ce568ba3e..eaf12281e 100644
--- a/xblock/test/test_field_data.py
+++ b/xblock/test/test_field_data.py
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ def setup_method(self):
             Scope.content: self.content,
             Scope.settings: self.settings
         })
+        self.split_empty = SplitFieldData({
+            Scope.content: self.content,
+            Scope.settings: self.settings,
+            Scope.user_state: None,
+        })
         self.runtime = TestRuntime(services={'field-data': self.split})
         self.block = TestingBlock(
             runtime=self.runtime,
@@ -76,6 +81,10 @@ def test_invalid_scope(self):
         with pytest.raises(InvalidScopeError):
             self.split.get(self.block, 'user_state')
 
+    def test_empty_scope(self):
+        with pytest.raises(InvalidScopeError):
+            self.split_empty.get(self.block, 'user_state')
+
     def test_default(self):
         self.split.default(self.block, 'content')
         self.content.default.assert_called_once_with(self.block, 'content')