diff --git a/bundle/deploy/terraform/convert.go b/bundle/deploy/terraform/convert.go
index 38c7b247..f2d2605a 100644
--- a/bundle/deploy/terraform/convert.go
+++ b/bundle/deploy/terraform/convert.go
@@ -154,14 +154,6 @@ func BundleToTerraform(config *config.Root) *schema.Root {
 }
 
 func TerraformToBundle(state *tfjson.State, config *config.Root) error {
-	if state.Values == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("state.Values not set")
-	}
-
-	if state.Values.RootModule == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("state.Values.RootModule not set")
-	}
-
 	for _, resource := range state.Values.RootModule.Resources {
 		// Limit to resources.
 		if resource.Mode != tfjson.ManagedResourceMode {
diff --git a/bundle/deploy/terraform/load.go b/bundle/deploy/terraform/load.go
index 7f350abf..f312811e 100644
--- a/bundle/deploy/terraform/load.go
+++ b/bundle/deploy/terraform/load.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/databricks/bricks/bundle"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-exec/tfexec"
+	tfjson "github.com/hashicorp/terraform-json"
 )
 
 type load struct{}
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ func (l *load) Apply(ctx context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle) ([]bundle.Mutator, e
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	err = ValidateState(state)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Merge state into configuration.
 	err = TerraformToBundle(state, &b.Config)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -39,6 +45,18 @@ func (l *load) Apply(ctx context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle) ([]bundle.Mutator, e
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
+func ValidateState(state *tfjson.State) error {
+	if state.Values == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no deployment state. Did you forget to run 'bricks bundle deploy'?")
+	}
+
+	if state.Values.RootModule == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("malformed terraform state: RootModule not set")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func Load() bundle.Mutator {
 	return &load{}
 }
diff --git a/bundle/deploy/terraform/load_test.go b/bundle/deploy/terraform/load_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ed1c261
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/deploy/terraform/load_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package terraform
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os/exec"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/databricks/bricks/bundle"
+	"github.com/databricks/bricks/bundle/config"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestLoadWithNoState(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := exec.LookPath("terraform")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Skipf("cannot find terraform binary: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	b := &bundle.Bundle{
+		Config: config.Root{
+			Path: t.TempDir(),
+			Bundle: config.Bundle{
+				Environment: "whatever",
+				Terraform: &config.Terraform{
+					ExecPath: "terraform",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	t.Setenv("DATABRICKS_HOST", "https://x")
+	t.Setenv("DATABRICKS_TOKEN", "foobar")
+	b.WorkspaceClient()
+
+	err = bundle.Apply(context.Background(), b, []bundle.Mutator{
+		Initialize(),
+		Load(),
+	})
+
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "Did you forget to run 'bricks bundle deploy'")
+}