diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get.py
index d1627b666..259088445 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get.py
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ def get_clan_details(flake: Flake) -> InventoryMeta:
     Raises:
         ClanError: If the flake does not exist, or if the inventory is invalid (missing the meta attribute).
     """
-    if flake.is_local and not flake.path.exists():
-        msg = f"Path {flake} does not exist"
-        raise ClanError(msg, description="clan directory does not exist")
     inventory_store = InventoryStore(flake)
     inventory = inventory_store.read()
 
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get_test.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa3f5d009
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/clan/get_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import pytest
+from clan_cli.tests.fixtures_flakes import FlakeForTest
+
+from clan_lib.clan.get import get_clan_details
+from clan_lib.flake import Flake, FlakeDoesNotExistError, FlakeInvalidError
+
+
+@pytest.mark.with_core
+def test_get_clan_details_invalid_flake() -> None:
+    invalid_flake = Flake("/non/existent/path")
+
+    with pytest.raises(FlakeDoesNotExistError):
+        get_clan_details(invalid_flake)
+
+    with pytest.raises(FlakeInvalidError):
+        get_clan_details(Flake("/tmp"))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.with_core
+def test_get_clan_details(test_flake_with_core: FlakeForTest) -> None:
+    flake = Flake(str(test_flake_with_core.path))
+    details = get_clan_details(flake)
+
+    assert details["name"] == "test_flake_with_core"
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/__init__.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/__init__.py
index ed265fee9..a2ff40013 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/__init__.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,15 @@
-from .flake import Flake, require_flake, ClanSelectError  # noqa
+from .flake import (
+    ClanSelectError,
+    Flake,
+    FlakeDoesNotExistError,
+    FlakeInvalidError,
+    require_flake,
+)
+
+__all__ = [
+    "ClanSelectError",
+    "Flake",
+    "FlakeDoesNotExistError",
+    "FlakeInvalidError",
+    "require_flake",
+]
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/flake.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/flake.py
index 6d01a6f9a..8507ec353 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/flake.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_lib/flake/flake.py
@@ -16,6 +16,22 @@ from clan_lib.errors import ClanCmdError, ClanError
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+class FlakeDoesNotExistError(ClanError):
+    """Raised when a flake does not exist"""
+
+    def __init__(self, flake_identifier: str, description: str | None = None) -> None:
+        msg = f"Flake '{flake_identifier}' does not exist or is not a valid flake."
+        super().__init__(msg, description=description, location=flake_identifier)
+
+
+class FlakeInvalidError(ClanError):
+    """Raised when a flake is invalid"""
+
+    def __init__(self, flake_identifier: str, description: str | None = None) -> None:
+        msg = f"Flake is invalid. Could not find a flake.nix file in '{flake_identifier}'."
+        super().__init__(msg, description=description, location=flake_identifier)
+
+
 def get_nix_store_dir() -> str:
     """Get the Nix store directory path pattern for regex matching.
 
@@ -773,7 +789,18 @@ class Flake:
         trace_prefetch = os.environ.get("CLAN_DEBUG_NIX_PREFETCH", False) == "1"
         if not trace_prefetch:
             log.debug(f"Prefetching flake {self.identifier}")
-        flake_prefetch = run(nix_command(cmd), RunOpts(trace=trace_prefetch))
+        try:
+            flake_prefetch = run(nix_command(cmd), RunOpts(trace=trace_prefetch))
+        except ClanCmdError as e:
+            if (
+                f"error: getting status of '{self.identifier}': No such file or directory"
+                in str(e)
+            ):
+                raise FlakeDoesNotExistError(self.identifier) from e
+            if "error: could not find a flake.nix file":
+                raise FlakeInvalidError(self.identifier) from e
+            raise
+
         flake_metadata = json.loads(flake_prefetch.stdout)
         self.store_path = flake_metadata["storePath"]
         self.hash = flake_metadata["hash"]