diff --git a/docs/news.rst b/docs/news.rst
index 38624948d..8308b9528 100644
--- a/docs/news.rst
+++ b/docs/news.rst
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ Backward-incompatible changes
 
     (:gh:`6585`, :gh:`7731`)
 
+Documentation
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+-   Documented that :func:`scrapy.utils.asyncio.is_asyncio_available` and
+    :func:`scrapy.utils.reactorless.is_reactorless` cannot be used from
+    extension initialization, and updated the asyncio requirement example to
+    check the :setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR` and
+    :setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR_ENABLED` settings instead.
+    (:gh:`7812`)
+
 .. _release-2.17.0:
 
 Scrapy 2.17.0 (2026-07-07)
diff --git a/docs/topics/asyncio.rst b/docs/topics/asyncio.rst
index afccb491d..7764ee70d 100644
--- a/docs/topics/asyncio.rst
+++ b/docs/topics/asyncio.rst
@@ -117,25 +117,42 @@ Enforcing asyncio as a requirement
 ==================================
 
 If you are writing a :ref:`component <topics-components>` that requires asyncio
-to work, use :func:`scrapy.utils.asyncio.is_asyncio_available` to
-:ref:`enforce it as a requirement <enforce-component-requirements>`. For
-example:
+to work, :ref:`enforce it as a requirement <enforce-component-requirements>`.
+
+Do **not** call :func:`scrapy.utils.asyncio.is_asyncio_available` from an
+extension ``__init__`` or ``from_crawler``. Extensions are created while
+settings are applied, before the asyncio event loop is running, so that
+function cannot detect asyncio support there. The same applies to
+:func:`scrapy.utils.reactorless.is_reactorless`. Check the
+:setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR` and :setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR_ENABLED` settings
+instead:
 
 .. code-block:: python
 
-    from scrapy.utils.asyncio import is_asyncio_available
+    from scrapy.exceptions import NotConfigured
+
+    _ASYNCIO_REACTOR = "twisted.internet.asyncioreactor.AsyncioSelectorReactor"
 
 
     class MyComponent:
-        def __init__(self):
-            if not is_asyncio_available():
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"{MyComponent.__qualname__} requires the asyncio support. "
-                    f"Make sure you have configured the asyncio reactor in the "
-                    f"TWISTED_REACTOR setting. See the asyncio documentation "
-                    f"of Scrapy for more information."
+        def __init__(self, crawler):
+            reactor_enabled = crawler.settings.getbool("TWISTED_REACTOR_ENABLED")
+            reactor = crawler.settings["TWISTED_REACTOR"]
+            if reactor_enabled and reactor != _ASYNCIO_REACTOR:
+                raise NotConfigured(
+                    f"{type(self).__qualname__} requires asyncio support. "
+                    f"Set TWISTED_REACTOR to {_ASYNCIO_REACTOR!r} "
+                    f"or set TWISTED_REACTOR_ENABLED to False."
                 )
 
+        @classmethod
+        def from_crawler(cls, crawler):
+            return cls(crawler)
+
+Use :func:`scrapy.utils.asyncio.is_asyncio_available` from code that runs
+after the crawl has started, such as spider callbacks and later component
+methods.
+
 .. autofunction:: scrapy.utils.asyncio.is_asyncio_available
 .. autofunction:: scrapy.utils.reactor.is_asyncio_reactor_installed
 
diff --git a/scrapy/utils/asyncio.py b/scrapy/utils/asyncio.py
index 7c7697f56..a652b8698 100644
--- a/scrapy/utils/asyncio.py
+++ b/scrapy/utils/asyncio.py
@@ -65,9 +65,21 @@ def is_asyncio_available() -> bool:
         calling it from code such as spiders and Scrapy components, if Scrapy
         is run using one of the supported ways).
 
+    .. note:: Do not call this function from an extension ``__init__`` or
+        ``from_crawler``. Extensions are created while settings are applied,
+        before the asyncio event loop is running, so this function cannot
+        detect asyncio support there (it may raise :exc:`RuntimeError` or
+        return a misleading result). Check the :setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR`
+        and :setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR_ENABLED` settings instead. Use this
+        function from code that runs after the crawl has started.
+
     .. versionchanged:: 2.15.0
         This function now also returns ``True`` if there is a running asyncio
         loop, even if no Twisted reactor is installed.
+
+    .. versionchanged:: VERSION
+        Documented that this function is not usable from extension
+        initialization.
     """
 
     # Check if there is a running asyncio loop.
diff --git a/scrapy/utils/reactorless.py b/scrapy/utils/reactorless.py
index 243d80821..bd3e04274 100644
--- a/scrapy/utils/reactorless.py
+++ b/scrapy/utils/reactorless.py
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ def is_reactorless() -> bool:
 
     As this checks the runtime state and not the setting itself, it can be
     wrong when executed very early, before the reactor and/or the asyncio event
-    loop are initialized.
+    loop are initialized. In particular, do not call it from an extension
+    ``__init__`` or ``from_crawler``; those run while settings are applied,
+    before the loop is running. Check the :setting:`TWISTED_REACTOR_ENABLED`
+    setting instead.
 
     .. note:: As this function uses
         :func:`scrapy.utils.asyncio.is_asyncio_available()`, it has the same