diff --git a/prometheus_client/metrics.py b/prometheus_client/metrics.py
index 4c53b26b..73469eaf 100644
--- a/prometheus_client/metrics.py
+++ b/prometheus_client/metrics.py
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ def remove_by_labels(self, labels: dict[str, str]) -> None:
 
     def clear(self) -> None:
         """Remove all labelsets from the metric"""
+        if not self._labelnames:
+            raise ValueError('No label names were set when constructing %s' % self)
         if 'prometheus_multiproc_dir' in os.environ or 'PROMETHEUS_MULTIPROC_DIR' in os.environ:
             warnings.warn(
                 "Clearing labels has not been implemented in multi-process mode yet",
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index cee4bfb0..049ab3c0 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -620,6 +620,16 @@ def test_clear(self):
         self.assertEqual(None, self.registry.get_sample_value('c_total', {'l': 'x'}))
         self.assertEqual(None, self.registry.get_sample_value('c_total', {'l': 'y'}))
 
+    def test_clear_no_labels_raises(self):
+        no_labels = Counter('c_no_labels', 'help', registry=self.registry)
+        no_labels.inc()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, no_labels.clear)
+
+    def test_remove_no_labels_raises(self):
+        no_labels = Counter('c_no_labels2', 'help', registry=self.registry)
+        no_labels.inc()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, no_labels.remove, 'x')
+
     def test_incorrect_label_count_raises(self):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.counter.labels)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.counter.labels, 'a', 'b')