--- a/src/frame.c
+++ b/src/frame.c
@@ -1843,6 +1843,36 @@ other_frames (struct frame *f, bool invisible, bool force)
   return false;
 }
 
+
+/** Select some live frame.  */
+bool
+select_some_frame (void)
+{
+  Lisp_Object tail;
+  Lisp_Object frame UNINIT;
+
+  FOR_EACH_FRAME (tail, frame)
+    {
+      struct frame *f = XFRAME (frame);
+
+      if (!FRAME_PARENT_FRAME (f) && !FRAME_TOOLTIP_P (f))
+	{
+	  /* Select FRAME without switching to it.  This sets up the
+	     selected frame and the selected window and avoids aborting
+	     as when redisplay selects a dead frame (Bug#39977).  */
+	  selected_frame = frame;
+	  if (!WINDOW_LIVE_P (FRAME_SELECTED_WINDOW (f)))
+	    FRAME_SELECTED_WINDOW (f) = Fframe_first_window (frame);
+	  selected_window = FRAME_SELECTED_WINDOW (f);
+
+	  return true;
+	}
+    }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+
 /* Make sure that minibuf_window doesn't refer to FRAME's minibuffer
    window.  Preferably use the selected frame's minibuffer window
    instead.  If the selected frame doesn't have one, get some other
diff --git a/src/frame.h b/src/frame.h
index a54b8623e5..807938fd9f 100644
--- a/src/frame.h
+++ b/src/frame.h
@@ -1363,14 +1363,17 @@ window_system_available (struct frame *f)
 
 extern Lisp_Object Vframe_list;
 
+bool select_some_frame (void);
+
 /* Value is a pointer to the selected frame.  If the selected frame
    isn't live, abort.  */
 
 #define SELECTED_FRAME()				\
-     ((FRAMEP (selected_frame)				\
-       && FRAME_LIVE_P (XFRAME (selected_frame)))	\
-      ? XFRAME (selected_frame)				\
-      : (emacs_abort (), (struct frame *) 0))
+  (((FRAMEP (selected_frame)				\
+     && FRAME_LIVE_P (XFRAME (selected_frame)))		\
+    || select_some_frame ())				\
+   ? XFRAME (selected_frame)				\
+   : (emacs_abort (), (struct frame *) 0))
 
 
 /***********************************************************************