diff --git a/src/components/MoneyRequestReportView/MoneyRequestReportActionsList.tsx b/src/components/MoneyRequestReportView/MoneyRequestReportActionsList.tsx
index 7a607051dfe4..f404c1ee9d97 100644
--- a/src/components/MoneyRequestReportView/MoneyRequestReportActionsList.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MoneyRequestReportView/MoneyRequestReportActionsList.tsx
@@ -646,7 +646,11 @@ function MoneyRequestReportActionsList({onLayout}: MoneyRequestReportListProps)
     const initialNumToRender = useMemo((): number | undefined => {
         const minimumReportActionHeight = styles.chatItem.paddingTop + styles.chatItem.paddingBottom + variables.fontSizeNormalHeight;
         const availableHeight = windowHeight - (CONST.CHAT_FOOTER_MIN_HEIGHT + variables.contentHeaderHeight);
-        const numToRender = Math.ceil(availableHeight / minimumReportActionHeight);
+        // windowHeight can be smaller than the header+footer during transient mount/transition states
+        // (e.g. Wide RHP overlay animating in), which would make numToRender negative and crash
+        // VirtualizedList with "Invalid cells around viewport". Clamping to 0 lets the `|| undefined`
+        // fallback below kick in so FlatList uses its default.
+        const numToRender = Math.max(0, Math.ceil(availableHeight / minimumReportActionHeight));
         if (linkedReportActionID) {
             return getInitialNumToRender(numToRender);
         }