diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ffa347f45..beebd876e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
   - A list larger than the maximum scroll size of the browser shows its last items, and its items move evenly during a scroll. [#2410](https://github.com/IgniteUI/igniteui-webcomponents/pull/2410)
   - A new `data` array measures the new items at the rendered indices again. [#2412](https://github.com/IgniteUI/igniteui-webcomponents/pull/2412)
   - A `data` change in the same task as `scrollToIndex()` renders at the new offset. [#2545](https://github.com/IgniteUI/igniteui-webcomponents/pull/2545)
+  - A property change on a detached virtual scroll no longer throws an error.
 
 ### Security
 - #### Tile manager
diff --git a/src/components/button/button-base.ts b/src/components/button/button-base.ts
index 138ed2d54..90b61ee18 100644
--- a/src/components/button/button-base.ts
+++ b/src/components/button/button-base.ts
@@ -171,10 +171,7 @@ export abstract class IgcButtonBaseComponent extends EventEmitterMixin<IgcButton
     this._commandfor = value;
     if (value) {
       this._resolver.observe();
-      // detached element has no root to call `getElementById` on until `connectedCallback`
-      this._commandForElement = this.isConnected
-        ? getElementByIdFromRoot(this, value)
-        : null;
+      this._commandForElement = getElementByIdFromRoot(this, value);
     } else {
       this._commandForElement = null;
       this._resolver.unobserve();
diff --git a/src/components/highlight/service.ts b/src/components/highlight/service.ts
index d0c8a512a..82827ff80 100644
--- a/src/components/highlight/service.ts
+++ b/src/components/highlight/service.ts
@@ -10,20 +10,6 @@ import type IgcHighlightComponent from './highlight.js';
 
 type Match = { node: Node; indices: [start: number, end: number] };
 
-/**
- * Resolves the tree scope that must own the `::highlight()` rules. The rules are
- * tree-scoped, so slotted content needs the host root node, not the render root.
- * Firefox enforces this, Chromium currently does not.
- *
- * Returns `null` while the host is detached or inside a non-styleable fragment.
- */
-function getStyleRoot(
-  host: IgcHighlightComponent
-): (DocumentOrShadowRoot & Node) | null {
-  const root = getRoot(host);
-  return 'adoptedStyleSheets' in root ? root : null;
-}
-
 /* jsonAPIPlainObject */
 /* marshalByValue */
 /**
@@ -271,7 +257,8 @@ class HighlightService implements ReactiveController {
       return;
     }
 
-    const root = getStyleRoot(this._host);
+    // `::highlight()` rules are tree-scoped (Firefox enforces it): slotted content needs the host's root.
+    const root = getRoot(this._host);
 
     if (this._attachedRoot !== root) {
       this._removeStyleSheet();
diff --git a/src/components/popover/position/native.ts b/src/components/popover/position/native.ts
index 88e27edaa..3647df5e2 100644
--- a/src/components/popover/position/native.ts
+++ b/src/components/popover/position/native.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { isServer } from 'lit';
-import { getRoot, isPopoverOpen } from '#internals/utils/dom.js';
+import { isPopoverOpen } from '#internals/utils/dom.js';
 import { toggleEventListener } from '#internals/utils/events.js';
 import {
   applyArrowStyles,
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export class NativePositionStrategy extends PopoverPositionStrategy {
     super.attach(target, container);
 
     container.toggleAttribute('data-anchored', true);
-    this._anchorObserver.observe(getRoot(target), {
+    this._anchorObserver.observe(target.getRootNode(), {
       childList: true,
       subtree: true,
     });
diff --git a/src/components/radio/controller.ts b/src/components/radio/controller.ts
index b68928b9d..82ddd5ed1 100644
--- a/src/components/radio/controller.ts
+++ b/src/components/radio/controller.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import {
   createGroupRegistry,
   type GroupMemberController,
 } from '#internals/controllers/group.js';
-import { getRoot } from '#internals/utils/dom.js';
 import type IgcRadioComponent from './radio.js';
 
 /**
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ import type IgcRadioComponent from './radio.js';
  */
 const radioGroups = createGroupRegistry<IgcRadioComponent, boolean>({
   keyOf: (radio) => radio.name || '',
-  scopeOf: (radio) => radio.form ?? getRoot(radio),
+  scopeOf: (radio) => radio.form ?? radio.getRootNode(),
   deriveState: (radios) =>
     radios.some((radio) => radio.checked && !radio.disabled),
 });
diff --git a/src/components/stepper/stepper.ts b/src/components/stepper/stepper.ts
index d8f9cf4c5..241e52536 100644
--- a/src/components/stepper/stepper.ts
+++ b/src/components/stepper/stepper.ts
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ export default class IgcStepperComponent extends EventEmitterMixin<IgcStepperCom
 
   private _getActiveStepComponent(): IgcStepComponent | null {
     return (
-      getRoot(this).activeElement?.closest(IgcStepComponent.tagName) ?? null
+      getRoot(this)?.activeElement?.closest(IgcStepComponent.tagName) ?? null
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/components/virtualization/recycle.ts b/src/components/virtualization/recycle.ts
index 6cc9f81c4..f0552cd3f 100644
--- a/src/components/virtualization/recycle.ts
+++ b/src/components/virtualization/recycle.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function focusedPosition(
   parts: readonly ChildPart[]
 ): number {
   const container = containerPart.parentNode;
-  let node: Node | null = getRoot(container).activeElement;
+  let node: Node | null = getRoot(container)?.activeElement ?? null;
 
   while (node && node.parentNode !== container) {
     node = node.parentNode;
diff --git a/src/components/virtualization/spec.md b/src/components/virtualization/spec.md
index a5cd6d315..8f551b4ad 100644
--- a/src/components/virtualization/spec.md
+++ b/src/components/virtualization/spec.md
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 |       8 | 2026-10-21 | API descriptions aligned with the JSDoc.                                                   |
 |       8 | 2026-10-05 | The stylesheet comes back after other code replaces the sheets of the tree scope           |
 |       9 | 2026-11-11 | `scrollToIndex` renders the new window in the same task; a hidden list keeps its window    |
+|      10 | 2026-11-12 | A detached list updates without adopting the stylesheet, and adopts it once attached       |
 
 ## Overview
 
@@ -351,7 +352,8 @@ scope, the component adopts its stylesheet again on its next update.
 ### Rendering
 
 4. Nothing is rendered without an `itemTemplate`, and the track and the content elements are rendered with one.
-5. The stylesheet is adopted again on the next update after other code replaces the sheets of the tree scope.
+5. The stylesheet is adopted again on the next update after other code replaces the sheets of the tree scope. A
+   detached list updates and keeps its styles once attached again.
 
 ### Events tests
 
diff --git a/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.spec.ts b/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.spec.ts
index 66614d0e2..607a8ff7f 100644
--- a/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.spec.ts
@@ -198,6 +198,25 @@ describe('VirtualScroll', () => {
         document.adoptedStyleSheets = sheets;
       }
     });
+
+    it('updates while detached and keeps its styles once attached again', async () => {
+      const el = await fixture<IgcVirtualScrollComponent<string>>(
+        html`<igc-virtual-scroll
+          .data=${createItems(100)}
+          .itemTemplate=${fixedTemplate}
+        ></igc-virtual-scroll>`
+      );
+      const parent = el.parentElement!;
+
+      el.remove();
+      el.keyFunction = (item) => item;
+      await elementUpdated(el);
+
+      parent.append(el);
+      await elementUpdated(el);
+
+      expect(getComputedStyle(el).overflowY).to.equal('auto');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Events', () => {
diff --git a/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.ts b/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.ts
index e67401075..101f0d0a8 100644
--- a/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.ts
+++ b/src/components/virtualization/virtualization.ts
@@ -296,6 +296,11 @@ export default class IgcVirtualScrollComponent<
     }
 
     const root = getRoot(this);
+    // A detached scroller adopts the sheet in `connectedCallback`.
+    if (!root) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const sheet = IgcVirtualScrollComponent._getStyleSheet();
     if (!root.adoptedStyleSheets.includes(sheet)) {
       root.adoptedStyleSheets = [...root.adoptedStyleSheets, sheet];
diff --git a/src/internals/bases/alert.ts b/src/internals/bases/alert.ts
index 4215567e7..1a885cf41 100644
--- a/src/internals/bases/alert.ts
+++ b/src/internals/bases/alert.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { createMutationController } from '../controllers/mutation-observer.js';
 import { addToggleController } from '../controllers/toggle.js';
 import { coercedProperty } from '../decorators/coerced-property.js';
 import { createTimer } from '../timing.js';
-import { getRoot, getVisibleAncestor, isPopoverOpen } from '../utils/dom.js';
+import { getVisibleAncestor, isPopoverOpen } from '../utils/dom.js';
 import { getEventOrigin } from '../utils/events.js';
 import { nanoid } from '../utils/strings.js';
 
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ export abstract class IgcBaseAlertLikeComponent extends LitElement {
       // anchor names of its own. Otherwise the container is the source of the
       // popover, and the browser moves the popover after it in the tab order.
       if (
-        getRoot(container) === getRoot(this) &&
+        container.getRootNode() === this.getRootNode() &&
         addAnchorName(container, this._anchorName)
       ) {
         this._anchor = container;
diff --git a/src/internals/controllers/group.ts b/src/internals/controllers/group.ts
index cf08e05fa..6a843f0db 100644
--- a/src/internals/controllers/group.ts
+++ b/src/internals/controllers/group.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import type { ReactiveController, ReactiveControllerHost } from 'lit';
 import { isEmpty } from '../utils/arrays.js';
-import { getRoot } from '../utils/dom.js';
 import { getOrInsertComputed } from '../utils/objects.js';
 
 type GroupHost = ReactiveControllerHost & Element;
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ export function createGroupRegistry<T extends GroupHost, S>(
   const controllers = new WeakMap<T, Member>();
 
   function scopeOf(host: T): GroupScope {
-    return config.scopeOf?.(host) ?? getRoot(host);
+    return config.scopeOf?.(host) ?? host.getRootNode();
   }
 
   /** Derives the group state and gives it to each member. */
diff --git a/src/internals/controllers/roving-focus.ts b/src/internals/controllers/roving-focus.ts
index 28838c67a..a3f596085 100644
--- a/src/internals/controllers/roving-focus.ts
+++ b/src/internals/controllers/roving-focus.ts
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class RovingFocusController<T extends Element> {
       return this._options.current();
     }
 
-    const active = getRoot(this._host).activeElement;
+    const active = getRoot(this._host)?.activeElement;
     return active
       ? items.find((item) => item === active || item.contains(active))
       : undefined;
diff --git a/src/internals/directives/drag.ts b/src/internals/directives/drag.ts
index fd50841ff..fe3cca23d 100644
--- a/src/internals/directives/drag.ts
+++ b/src/internals/directives/drag.ts
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ class DraggableDirective extends PointerOperationDirective<
     operation.element = stays
       ? previous
       : (getRoot(operation.target)
-          .elementsFromPoint(clientX, clientY)
+          ?.elementsFromPoint(clientX, clientY)
           .find(matchTarget) ?? null);
 
     // The first move over a match, also straight from another match, only records it.
diff --git a/src/internals/utils/dom.ts b/src/internals/utils/dom.ts
index 6f0ab0ec3..ed8f6a441 100644
--- a/src/internals/utils/dom.ts
+++ b/src/internals/utils/dom.ts
@@ -149,14 +149,16 @@ export function closestComposed(
   return null;
 }
 
-/** Returns the root node (document or shadow root) of the given node. */
-export function getRoot(node: Node): Document | ShadowRoot {
-  return node.getRootNode() as Document | ShadowRoot;
+/** Returns the document or shadow root of the node, or `null` while it is disconnected. */
+export function getRoot(node: Node): Document | ShadowRoot | null {
+  return node.isConnected
+    ? (node.getRootNode() as Document | ShadowRoot)
+    : null;
 }
 
 /** Returns the element with the given id in the root node of `root`. */
 export function getElementByIdFromRoot(root: HTMLElement, id: string) {
-  return getRoot(root).getElementById(id);
+  return getRoot(root)?.getElementById(id) ?? null;
 }
 
 export function isElement(node: unknown): node is Element {
@@ -266,9 +268,9 @@ const TABBABLE_SELECTOR =
  * the document when the focus is outside `root`.
  */
 export function getDeepActiveElement(
-  root: Document | ShadowRoot = document
+  root: Document | ShadowRoot | null = document
 ): HTMLElement | null {
-  let element = root.activeElement ?? document.activeElement;
+  let element = root?.activeElement ?? document.activeElement;
 
   while (element?.shadowRoot?.activeElement) {
     element = element.shadowRoot.activeElement;