diff --git a/proxy/proxy_ip_pool.py b/proxy/proxy_ip_pool.py
index 8041d38..a58b14d 100644
--- a/proxy/proxy_ip_pool.py
+++ b/proxy/proxy_ip_pool.py
@@ -202,11 +202,17 @@ async def create_ip_pool(ip_pool_count: int, enable_validate_ip: bool) -> ProxyI
     :param enable_validate_ip: Whether to enable IP proxy validation
     :return:
     """
+    ip_provider = IpProxyProvider.get(config.IP_PROXY_PROVIDER_NAME)
+    if ip_provider is None:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Unknown proxy provider: '{config.IP_PROXY_PROVIDER_NAME}'. "
+            f"Valid options: {list(IpProxyProvider.keys())}"
+        )
     is_static = config.IP_PROXY_PROVIDER_NAME == ProviderNameEnum.STATIC_PROVIDER.value
     pool = ProxyIpPool(
         ip_pool_count=ip_pool_count,
         enable_validate_ip=False if is_static else enable_validate_ip,
-        ip_provider=IpProxyProvider.get(config.IP_PROXY_PROVIDER_NAME),
+        ip_provider=ip_provider,
     )
     await pool.load_proxies()
     return pool
diff --git a/test/test_proxy_ip_pool.py b/test/test_proxy_ip_pool.py
index 266f988..a4a567e 100644
--- a/test/test_proxy_ip_pool.py
+++ b/test/test_proxy_ip_pool.py
@@ -268,4 +268,23 @@ class TestIpPool(IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
         print(f"  Is expired after setting expired proxy: {is_expired}")
         self.assertTrue(is_expired, msg="Expired proxy should return True")
 
+    async def test_create_ip_pool_unknown_provider_raises_value_error(self):
+        """create_ip_pool() should raise ValueError with a helpful message when
+        IP_PROXY_PROVIDER_NAME is not in the IpProxyProvider registry, rather than
+        passing None silently and crashing with AttributeError in load_proxies()."""
+        from proxy.proxy_ip_pool import IpProxyProvider
+        from unittest.mock import patch
+
+        invalid_cases = ["kuaidalli", "", "KUAIDAILI", "unknown_provider"]
+
+        for bad_name in invalid_cases:
+            with self.subTest(provider=bad_name):
+                with patch("proxy.proxy_ip_pool.config") as mock_config:
+                    mock_config.IP_PROXY_PROVIDER_NAME = bad_name
+                    with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as ctx:
+                        from proxy.proxy_ip_pool import create_ip_pool
+                        await create_ip_pool(ip_pool_count=1, enable_validate_ip=False)
+                    self.assertIn(bad_name, str(ctx.exception))
+                    self.assertIn(str(list(IpProxyProvider.keys())), str(ctx.exception))
+
         print("\n=== Standalone IP proxy expiration detection test completed ===\n")