diff --git a/internal/git_clone_test.go b/internal/git_clone_test.go
index 32f5e0164..a4bf40e91 100644
--- a/internal/git_clone_test.go
+++ b/internal/git_clone_test.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-// TODO: add assertion for error if git CLI is not found
 func TestAccGitClonePublicRepository(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Log(GetEnvOrSkipTest(t, "CLOUD_ENV"))
 
diff --git a/libs/git/clone.go b/libs/git/clone.go
index f3e968978..b2cace6ac 100644
--- a/libs/git/clone.go
+++ b/libs/git/clone.go
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ func clonePrivate(ctx context.Context, opts CloneOptions) error {
 
 	// start git clone
 	err := cmd.Start()
+	if errors.Is(err, exec.ErrNotFound) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("please install git CLI to download private templates: %w", err)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/libs/git/clone_test.go b/libs/git/clone_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f337ea4c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/git/clone_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/cmdio"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestGitCloneCLINotFound(t *testing.T) {
+	// Set PATH to "", so git CLI cannot be found
+	t.Setenv("PATH", "")
+	
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	cmdIO := cmdio.NewIO("text", os.Stdin, os.Stdout, os.Stderr, "")
+	ctx := cmdio.InContext(context.Background(), cmdIO)
+
+	err := Clone(ctx, CloneOptions{
+		Provider:       "github",
+		Organization:   "databricks",
+		RepositoryName: "does-not-exist",
+		Reference:      "main",
+		TargetDir:      tmpDir,
+	})
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, exec.ErrNotFound)
+	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "please install git CLI to download private templates")
+}