diff --git chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.cc chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.cc
index 7c0229c202ca..67320e907526 100644
--- chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.cc
+++ chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.cc
@@ -64,15 +64,23 @@ bool IsUsingGtkTheme(Profile* profile) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // BrowserFrame, public:
 
+BrowserFrame::BrowserFrame() : BrowserFrame(nullptr) {}
+
 BrowserFrame::BrowserFrame(BrowserView* browser_view)
     : native_browser_frame_(nullptr),
       root_view_(nullptr),
       browser_frame_view_(nullptr),
-      browser_view_(browser_view) {
-  browser_view_->set_frame(this);
+      browser_view_(nullptr) {
   set_is_secondary_widget(false);
   // Don't focus anything on creation, selecting a tab will set the focus.
   set_focus_on_creation(false);
+  if (browser_view)
+    InitBrowserView(browser_view);
+}
+
+void BrowserFrame::InitBrowserView(BrowserView* browser_view) {
+  browser_view_ = browser_view;
+  browser_view_->set_frame(this);
 }
 
 BrowserFrame::~BrowserFrame() {}
@@ -131,6 +139,12 @@ gfx::Rect BrowserFrame::GetBoundsForTabStripRegion(
 }
 
 int BrowserFrame::GetTopInset() const {
+  if (!browser_frame_view_) {
+    // With CEF the browser may already be part of a larger Views layout. Zero
+    // out the adjustment in BrowserView::GetTopInsetInBrowserView() so that
+    // the browser isn't shifted to the top of the window.
+    return browser_view_->y();
+  }
   return browser_frame_view_->GetTopInset(false);
 }
 
@@ -165,15 +179,21 @@ void BrowserFrame::GetWindowPlacement(gfx::Rect* bounds,
 
 content::KeyboardEventProcessingResult BrowserFrame::PreHandleKeyboardEvent(
     const content::NativeWebKeyboardEvent& event) {
+  if (!native_browser_frame_)
+    return content::KeyboardEventProcessingResult::NOT_HANDLED;
   return native_browser_frame_->PreHandleKeyboardEvent(event);
 }
 
 bool BrowserFrame::HandleKeyboardEvent(
     const content::NativeWebKeyboardEvent& event) {
+  if (!native_browser_frame_)
+    return false;
   return native_browser_frame_->HandleKeyboardEvent(event);
 }
 
 void BrowserFrame::OnBrowserViewInitViewsComplete() {
+  if (!browser_frame_view_)
+    return;
   browser_frame_view_->OnBrowserViewInitViewsComplete();
 }
 
@@ -206,7 +226,8 @@ const ui::ThemeProvider* BrowserFrame::GetThemeProvider() const {
 }
 
 const ui::NativeTheme* BrowserFrame::GetNativeTheme() const {
-  if (browser_view_->browser()->profile()->IsIncognitoProfile() &&
+  if (browser_view_ &&
+      browser_view_->browser()->profile()->IsIncognitoProfile() &&
       ThemeServiceFactory::GetForProfile(browser_view_->browser()->profile())
           ->UsingDefaultTheme()) {
     return ui::NativeTheme::GetInstanceForDarkUI();
diff --git chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.h chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.h
index 050c0e05e4e3..0bbcf4af9a92 100644
--- chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.h
+++ chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_frame.h
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ enum class TabDragKind {
 // This is a virtual interface that allows system specific browser frames.
 class BrowserFrame : public views::Widget, public views::ContextMenuController {
  public:
+  BrowserFrame();
   explicit BrowserFrame(BrowserView* browser_view);
+  void InitBrowserView(BrowserView* browser_view);
   ~BrowserFrame() override;
 
   // Initialize the frame (creates the underlying native window).
diff --git chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.cc chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.cc
index 7d93faeadd2c..9b10c7f86c5c 100644
--- chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.cc
+++ chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.cc
@@ -557,11 +557,22 @@ class BrowserView::AccessibilityModeObserver : public ui::AXModeObserver {
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // BrowserView, public:
 
+BrowserView::BrowserView() : BrowserView(nullptr) {}
+
 BrowserView::BrowserView(std::unique_ptr<Browser> browser)
     : views::ClientView(nullptr, nullptr),
-      browser_(std::move(browser)),
       accessibility_mode_observer_(
           std::make_unique<AccessibilityModeObserver>(this)) {
+  if (browser)
+    InitBrowser(std::move(browser));
+}
+
+void BrowserView::InitBrowser(std::unique_ptr<Browser> browser) {
+  DCHECK(!browser_);
+  browser_ = std::move(browser);
+
+  immersive_mode_controller_ = chrome::CreateImmersiveModeController();
+
   SetShowIcon(::ShouldShowWindowIcon(browser_.get()));
 
   // In forced app mode, all size controls are always disabled. Otherwise, use
@@ -575,7 +586,6 @@ BrowserView::BrowserView(std::unique_ptr<Browser> browser)
   }
 
   browser_->tab_strip_model()->AddObserver(this);
-  immersive_mode_controller_ = chrome::CreateImmersiveModeController();
 
   // Top container holds tab strip region and toolbar and lives at the front of
   // the view hierarchy.
@@ -1368,6 +1378,8 @@ bool BrowserView::ShouldHideUIForFullscreen() const {
   if (immersive_mode_controller_->IsEnabled())
     return false;
 
+  if (!frame_->GetFrameView())
+    return false;
   return frame_->GetFrameView()->ShouldHideTopUIForFullscreen();
 }
 
@@ -2393,7 +2405,8 @@ BrowserView::GetNativeViewHostsForTopControlsSlide() const {
 }
 
 void BrowserView::ReparentTopContainerForEndOfImmersive() {
-  overlay_view_->SetVisible(false);
+  if (overlay_view_)
+    overlay_view_->SetVisible(false);
   top_container()->DestroyLayer();
   AddChildViewAt(top_container(), 0);
   EnsureFocusOrder();
@@ -2841,7 +2854,8 @@ void BrowserView::Layout() {
   // TODO(jamescook): Why was this in the middle of layout code?
   toolbar_->location_bar()->omnibox_view()->SetFocusBehavior(
       IsToolbarVisible() ? FocusBehavior::ALWAYS : FocusBehavior::NEVER);
-  frame()->GetFrameView()->UpdateMinimumSize();
+  if (frame()->GetFrameView())
+    frame()->GetFrameView()->UpdateMinimumSize();
 
   // Some of the situations when the BrowserView is laid out are:
   // - Enter/exit immersive fullscreen mode.
@@ -2944,7 +2958,8 @@ void BrowserView::AddedToWidget() {
     SetToolbarButtonProvider(toolbar_);
 
   frame_->OnBrowserViewInitViewsComplete();
-  frame_->GetFrameView()->UpdateMinimumSize();
+  if (frame_->GetFrameView())
+    frame_->GetFrameView()->UpdateMinimumSize();
   using_native_frame_ = frame_->ShouldUseNativeFrame();
 
   MaybeInitializeWebUITabStrip();
diff --git chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.h chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.h
index e4955ccbb929..e678754ee361 100644
--- chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.h
+++ chrome/browser/ui/views/frame/browser_view.h
@@ -114,7 +114,9 @@ class BrowserView : public BrowserWindow,
                     public webapps::AppBannerManager::Observer {
  public:
   METADATA_HEADER(BrowserView);
+  BrowserView();
   explicit BrowserView(std::unique_ptr<Browser> browser);
+  void InitBrowser(std::unique_ptr<Browser> browser);
   BrowserView(const BrowserView&) = delete;
   BrowserView& operator=(const BrowserView&) = delete;
   ~BrowserView() override;
diff --git chrome/browser/ui/views/tabs/browser_tab_strip_controller.cc chrome/browser/ui/views/tabs/browser_tab_strip_controller.cc
index 975817e079eb..f77c24d294bc 100644
--- chrome/browser/ui/views/tabs/browser_tab_strip_controller.cc
+++ chrome/browser/ui/views/tabs/browser_tab_strip_controller.cc
@@ -571,37 +571,53 @@ gfx::Range BrowserTabStripController::ListTabsInGroup(
 }
 
 bool BrowserTabStripController::IsFrameCondensed() const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return false;
   return GetFrameView()->IsFrameCondensed();
 }
 
 bool BrowserTabStripController::HasVisibleBackgroundTabShapes() const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return false;
   return GetFrameView()->HasVisibleBackgroundTabShapes(
       BrowserFrameActiveState::kUseCurrent);
 }
 
 bool BrowserTabStripController::EverHasVisibleBackgroundTabShapes() const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return false;
   return GetFrameView()->EverHasVisibleBackgroundTabShapes();
 }
 
 bool BrowserTabStripController::ShouldPaintAsActiveFrame() const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return false;
   return GetFrameView()->ShouldPaintAsActive();
 }
 
 bool BrowserTabStripController::CanDrawStrokes() const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return false;
   return GetFrameView()->CanDrawStrokes();
 }
 
 SkColor BrowserTabStripController::GetFrameColor(
     BrowserFrameActiveState active_state) const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return SK_ColorWHITE;
   return GetFrameView()->GetFrameColor(active_state);
 }
 
 SkColor BrowserTabStripController::GetToolbarTopSeparatorColor() const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return SK_ColorWHITE;
   return GetFrameView()->GetToolbarTopSeparatorColor();
 }
 
 base::Optional<int> BrowserTabStripController::GetCustomBackgroundId(
     BrowserFrameActiveState active_state) const {
+  if (!GetFrameView())
+    return base::nullopt;
   return GetFrameView()->GetCustomBackgroundId(active_state);
 }