A fuel cell stack hydrogen starvation detection device, a fuel cell system and a method of operating a fuel cell stack to protect it from hydrogen starvation conditions. In one particular form, the fuel cell system includes a stack of fuel cells, a controller and a detection device made up of one or more sensors that can compare a reference signal corresponding to the presence of substantially pure hydrogen to a signal that corresponds to a local hydrogen value within a single fuel cell within the stack or across multiple fuel cells within the stack. In this way, the detection device promptly provides indicia of a hydrogen starvation condition within the cell or stack without the need for conventional cell voltage monitoring. The detected hydrogen starvation condition may be presented as a warning signal to alert a user that such a condition may be present, as well as to the controller for modification of the stack operation.