diff --git a/packages/cli/src/services/__tests__/linter.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/services/__tests__/linter.test.ts
index 19da4a16c..cb6f8e760 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/services/__tests__/linter.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/services/__tests__/linter.test.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ describe('Linter service', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('demands a file to be present', () => {
+    return expect(run('lint -r ./gh-474/ruleset.js ./gh-474/does-not-exist.json')).rejects.toThrow(
+      'No files found to lint. Please check your file path and extension and try again',
+    );
+  });
+
   describe('when document is local file', () => {
     describe('and the file is expected to have no warnings', () => {
       it('outputs no issues', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/services/linter/linter.ts b/packages/cli/src/services/linter/linter.ts
index aaaf19d9c..11cb0a082 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/services/linter/linter.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/services/linter/linter.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ export async function lint(documents: Array<number | string>, flags: ILintConfig
     }
   }
 
-  for (const targetUri of [...targetUris, ...fileDescriptors]) {
+  const targets = [...targetUris, ...fileDescriptors];
+  if (targets.length === 0) {
+    throw new CLIError(`No files found to lint. Please check your file path and extension and try again`);
+  }
+
+  for (const targetUri of targets) {
     if (flags.verbose === true) {
       console.info(`Linting ${targetUri}`);
     }