diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java
index d17820a71f..2982d9f299 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayer.java
@@ -1573,6 +1573,10 @@ public interface ExoPlayer extends Player {
    * <p>The following limitations exist for using {@linkplain Effect video effects}:
    *
    * <ul>
+   *   <li>The {@code androidx.media3:media3-effect} module must be available on the runtime
+   *       classpath. {@code androidx.media3:media3-exoplayer} does not explicitly depend on the
+   *       effect module, so apps must make sure it's available themselves. It must be the same
+   *       version as the rest of the {@code androidx.media3} modules being used by the app.
    *   <li>This feature works only with the default {@link MediaCodecVideoRenderer} and not custom
    *       or extension {@linkplain Renderer video renderers}.
    *   <li>This feature does not work with {@linkplain Effect effects} updating the timestamps.
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java
index de0301b149..7c32751027 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerImpl.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ import androidx.media3.common.Timeline;
 import androidx.media3.common.TrackGroup;
 import androidx.media3.common.TrackSelectionParameters;
 import androidx.media3.common.Tracks;
+import androidx.media3.common.VideoFrameProcessor;
 import androidx.media3.common.VideoSize;
 import androidx.media3.common.text.Cue;
 import androidx.media3.common.text.CueGroup;
@@ -1277,6 +1278,13 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
   @Override
   public void setVideoEffects(List<Effect> videoEffects) {
     verifyApplicationThread();
+    try {
+      // LINT.IfChange(set_video_effects)
+      Class.forName("androidx.media3.effect.PreviewingSingleInputVideoGraph$Factory")
+          .getConstructor(VideoFrameProcessor.Factory.class);
+    } catch (ClassNotFoundException | NoSuchMethodException e) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("Could not find required lib-effect dependencies.", e);
+    }
     sendRendererMessage(TRACK_TYPE_VIDEO, MSG_SET_VIDEO_EFFECTS, videoEffects);
   }
 
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerTest.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerTest.java
index d30d26ca3a..d8c9d610da 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerTest.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ExoPlayerTest.java
@@ -14254,6 +14254,14 @@ public final class ExoPlayerTest {
     assertThat(metadataAfterTransition.title).isEqualTo("title");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void setVideoEffects_failsWithoutLibEffectsDep() {
+    ExoPlayer player = new TestExoPlayerBuilder(context).build();
+    IllegalStateException expected =
+        assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> player.setVideoEffects(ImmutableList.of()));
+    assertThat(expected).hasMessageThat().contains("lib-effect dependencies");
+  }
+
   // Internal methods.
 
   private void addWatchAsSystemFeature() {