diff --git a/.changeset/fluffy-peas-promise.md b/.changeset/fluffy-peas-promise.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b873d666ab0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fluffy-peas-promise.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@remix-run/server-runtime": patch
+---
+
+Add a more specific error if a user returns a `defer` response from a resource route
diff --git a/integration/resource-routes-test.ts b/integration/resource-routes-test.ts
index 11639ffaaed..def0f01e15b 100644
--- a/integration/resource-routes-test.ts
+++ b/integration/resource-routes-test.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ test.describe("loader in an app", async () => {
         "app/routes/redirect-destination.tsx": js`
           export default () => <div data-testid="redirect-destination">You made it!</div>
         `,
+        "app/routes/defer.tsx": js`
+          import { defer } from "@remix-run/node";
+
+          export let loader = () => defer({ data: 'whatever' });
+        `,
         "app/routes/data[.]json.tsx": js`
           import { json } from "@remix-run/node";
           export let loader = () => json({hello: "world"});
@@ -252,6 +257,18 @@ test.describe("loader in an app", async () => {
       'Route "routes/no-action" does not have an action'
     );
   });
+
+  test("should error if a defer is returned from a resource route", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    let app = new PlaywrightFixture(appFixture, page);
+    let res = await app.goto("/defer");
+    expect(res.status()).toBe(500);
+    expect(await res.text()).toMatch(
+      "You cannot return a `defer()` response from a Resource Route.  " +
+        'Did you forget to export a default UI component from the "routes/defer" route?'
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 test.describe("Development server", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/remix-server-runtime/server.ts b/packages/remix-server-runtime/server.ts
index e92933f74b2..ab5683ed784 100644
--- a/packages/remix-server-runtime/server.ts
+++ b/packages/remix-server-runtime/server.ts
@@ -425,6 +425,11 @@ async function handleResourceRequestRR(
       routeId,
       requestContext: loadContext,
     });
+    invariant(
+      !(DEFERRED_SYMBOL in response),
+      `You cannot return a \`defer()\` response from a Resource Route.  Did you ` +
+        `forget to export a default UI component from the "${routeId}" route?`
+    );
     // callRouteLoader/callRouteAction always return responses
     invariant(
       isResponse(response),