diff --git a/kasa/smart/smartdevice.py b/kasa/smart/smartdevice.py
@@ -109,9 +109,23 @@ async def _create_delete_children(
         can't be created to avoid spamming the logs on every update.
         """
         changed = False
+        if (
+            child_component_list := child_device_components_resp.get(
+                "child_component_list"
+            )
+        ) is None:
+            # Some hubs intermittently return the component list without the
+            # list itself, e.g. an H200 without children. Keep the known children
+            # instead of deleting them, the next update will reconcile.
+            _LOGGER.debug(
+                "No child component list for device %s, response: %s",
+                self.host,
+                child_device_components_resp,
+            )
+            return changed
+
         smart_children_components = {
-            child["device_id"]: child
-            for child in child_device_components_resp["child_component_list"]
+            child["device_id"]: child for child in child_component_list
         }
         children = self._children
         child_ids: set[str] = set()

diff --git a/tests/smart/test_smartdevice.py b/tests/smart/test_smartdevice.py
@@ -876,6 +876,19 @@ def mock_get_child_device_queries(method, params):
     expected_new_length -= 1
     assert len(dev.children) == expected_new_length
 
+    # Test component list response without the list keeps the known children
+
+    saved_child_device_components = mock_child_device_components
+    mock_child_device_components = {}
+
+    with patch.object(
+        transport, "get_child_device_queries", side_effect=mock_get_child_device_queries
+    ):
+        await dev.update()
+
+    assert len(dev.children) == expected_new_length
+    mock_child_device_components = saved_child_device_components
+
     # Test no child devices
 
     mock_child_device_info["child_device_list"] = []
@@ -890,6 +903,20 @@ def mock_get_child_device_queries(method, params):
 
     assert len(dev.children) == 0
 
+    # Test component list response without the list on a hub without children,
+    # as returned intermittently by some hubs (e.g. H200 firmware 1.7.7)
+
+    saved_child_device_components = mock_child_device_components
+    mock_child_device_components = {}
+
+    with patch.object(
+        transport, "get_child_device_queries", side_effect=mock_get_child_device_queries
+    ):
+        await dev.update()
+
+    assert len(dev.children) == 0
+    mock_child_device_components = saved_child_device_components
+
     # Logging tests are only for smartcam hubs as smart hubs do not test categories
     if not isinstance(dev, SmartCamDevice):
         return