diff --git a/cmd/argo/commands/get.go b/cmd/argo/commands/get.go
index 25edda023235..65851dff9fe9 100644
--- a/cmd/argo/commands/get.go
+++ b/cmd/argo/commands/get.go
@@ -294,6 +294,10 @@ func convertToRenderTrees(wf *wfv1.Workflow) map[string]renderNode {
 
 	// 1st Pass Process enough of nonBoundaryParent nodes to know all their children
 	for id, status := range wf.Status.Nodes {
+		if status.Type == "" {
+			log.Fatal("Missing node type in status node. Cannot get workflows created with Argo <= 2.0 using the default or wide output option.")
+			return nil
+		}
 		if isNonBoundaryParentNode(status.Type) {
 			n := nonBoundaryParentNode{nodeInfo: nodeInfo{id: id}}
 			nonBoundaryParentMap[id] = &n