diff --git a/src/opentimelineio/composition.cpp b/src/opentimelineio/composition.cpp
index 01fe6b9de..bfeac70b2 100644
--- a/src/opentimelineio/composition.cpp
+++ b/src/opentimelineio/composition.cpp
@@ -252,7 +252,18 @@ Composition::_path_from_child(
     ErrorStatus*      error_status) const
 {
     auto                      current = child->parent();
-    std::vector<Composition*> parents{ current };
+    std::vector<Composition*> parents;
+
+    if (!current)
+    {
+        if (error_status)
+        {
+            *error_status                = ErrorStatus::NOT_DESCENDED_FROM;
+            error_status->object_details = this;
+        }
+        return parents;
+    }
+    parents.push_back(current);
 
     while (current != this)
     {
@@ -311,7 +322,7 @@ Composition::range_of_child(Composable const* child, ErrorStatus* error_status)
     const
 {
     auto parents = _path_from_child(child, error_status);
-    if (is_error(error_status))
+    if (parents.empty() || is_error(error_status))
     {
         return TimeRange();
     }
@@ -363,7 +374,7 @@ Composition::trimmed_range_of_child(
     ErrorStatus*      error_status) const
 {
     auto parents = _path_from_child(child, error_status);
-    if (is_error(error_status))
+    if (parents.empty() || is_error(error_status))
     {
         return TimeRange();
     }
diff --git a/src/opentimelineio/item.cpp b/src/opentimelineio/item.cpp
index e2e1bcb4f..9c1a5ebe3 100644
--- a/src/opentimelineio/item.cpp
+++ b/src/opentimelineio/item.cpp
@@ -87,10 +87,14 @@ Item::visible_range(ErrorStatus* error_status) const
 std::optional<TimeRange>
 Item::trimmed_range_in_parent(ErrorStatus* error_status) const
 {
-    if (!parent() && error_status)
+    if (!parent())
     {
-        *error_status                = ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD;
-        error_status->object_details = this;
+        if (error_status)
+        {
+            *error_status                = ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD;
+            error_status->object_details = this;
+        }
+        return std::nullopt;
     }
 
     return parent()->trimmed_range_of_child(this, error_status);
@@ -99,10 +103,14 @@ Item::trimmed_range_in_parent(ErrorStatus* error_status) const
 TimeRange
 Item::range_in_parent(ErrorStatus* error_status) const
 {
-    if (!parent() && error_status)
+    if (!parent())
     {
-        *error_status                = ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD;
-        error_status->object_details = this;
+        if (error_status)
+        {
+            *error_status                = ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD;
+            error_status->object_details = this;
+        }
+        return TimeRange();
     }
 
     return parent()->range_of_child(this, error_status);
diff --git a/src/opentimelineio/transition.cpp b/src/opentimelineio/transition.cpp
index a29cb4d5b..b18c54c91 100644
--- a/src/opentimelineio/transition.cpp
+++ b/src/opentimelineio/transition.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ Transition::range_in_parent(ErrorStatus* error_status) const
                 "cannot compute range in parent because item has no parent",
                 this);
         }
+        return std::nullopt;
     }
 
     return parent()->range_of_child(this, error_status);
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ Transition::trimmed_range_in_parent(ErrorStatus* error_status) const
                 "cannot compute trimmed range in parent because item has no parent",
                 this);
         }
+        return std::nullopt;
     }
 
     return parent()->trimmed_range_of_child(this, error_status);
diff --git a/tests/test_composition.cpp b/tests/test_composition.cpp
index 66a134ce3..8cbfa8826 100644
--- a/tests/test_composition.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_composition.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,46 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
         assertEqual(items[0].value, clip.value);
     });
 
+    tests.add_test("test_orphan_ranges_report_errors", [] {
+        SerializableObject::Retainer<Clip> clip = new Clip;
+        OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus               error;
+
+        assertEqual(clip->range_in_parent(&error), TimeRange());
+        assertEqual(error.outcome, OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD);
+
+        error = OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus();
+        assertFalse(clip->trimmed_range_in_parent(&error).has_value());
+        assertEqual(error.outcome, OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD);
+        assertEqual(clip->range_in_parent(), TimeRange());
+        assertFalse(clip->trimmed_range_in_parent().has_value());
+
+        SerializableObject::Retainer<Transition> transition = new Transition;
+        error = OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus();
+        assertFalse(transition->range_in_parent(&error).has_value());
+        assertEqual(error.outcome, OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD);
+
+        error = OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus();
+        assertFalse(transition->trimmed_range_in_parent(&error).has_value());
+        assertEqual(error.outcome, OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus::NOT_A_CHILD);
+        assertFalse(transition->range_in_parent().has_value());
+        assertFalse(transition->trimmed_range_in_parent().has_value());
+
+        SerializableObject::Retainer<Stack> stack = new Stack;
+        error = OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus();
+        assertEqual(stack->range_of_child(clip, &error), TimeRange());
+        assertEqual(error.outcome, OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus::NOT_DESCENDED_FROM);
+        assertEqual(stack->range_of_child(clip), TimeRange());
+        assertEqual(
+            stack->trimmed_range_of_child(clip).value(),
+            TimeRange());
+
+        error = OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus();
+        stack->trimmed_range_of_child(clip, &error);
+        assertEqual(
+            error.outcome,
+            OTIO_NS::ErrorStatus::NOT_DESCENDED_FROM);
+    });
+
     tests.add_test("test_trimmed_range_of_nested_child", [] {
         SerializableObject::Retainer<Stack> root  = new Stack;
         SerializableObject::Retainer<Track> track = new Track;
diff --git a/tests/test_composition.py b/tests/test_composition.py
index 1c99d37e8..29214b49e 100755
--- a/tests/test_composition.py
+++ b/tests/test_composition.py
@@ -702,6 +702,9 @@ def test_range_of_child_with_duration(self):
         with self.assertRaises(otio.exceptions.NotAChildError):
             otio.schema.Clip().trimmed_range_in_parent()
 
+        with self.assertRaises(otio.exceptions.NotAChildError):
+            otio.schema.Clip().range_in_parent()
+
     def test_transformed_time(self):
         st = otio.schema.Stack(
             name="foo",
@@ -1035,6 +1038,16 @@ def test_delete_parent_container(self):
         del sq
         self.assertIsNone(it.parent())
 
+    def test_orphan_is_not_descended_from_composition(self):
+        stack = otio.schema.Stack()
+        orphan = otio.schema.Clip()
+
+        with self.assertRaises(otio.exceptions.NotAChildError):
+            stack.range_of_child(orphan)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(otio.exceptions.NotAChildError):
+            stack.trimmed_range_of_child(orphan)
+
     def test_transactional(self):
         item = otio.core.Item()
         trackA = otio.core.Track()