diff --git a/.changeset/bright-apricots-kiss.md b/.changeset/bright-apricots-kiss.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..483a70e5067f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/bright-apricots-kiss.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'create-astro': patch
+---
+
+Fix: Log an error when passing a `--template` that does not exist
diff --git a/packages/create-astro/src/actions/template.ts b/packages/create-astro/src/actions/template.ts
index 4f7e751e96cd..aa0363694862 100644
--- a/packages/create-astro/src/actions/template.ts
+++ b/packages/create-astro/src/actions/template.ts
@@ -35,8 +35,13 @@ export async function template(ctx: Pick<Context, 'template' | 'prompt' | 'dryRu
 			while: () =>
 				copyTemplate(ctx.template!, ctx as Context).catch((e) => {
 					// eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-					error('error', e);
-					process.exit(1);
+					if (e instanceof Error) {
+						error('error', e.message);
+						process.exit(1);
+					} else {
+						error('error', 'Unable to clone template.');
+						process.exit(1);
+					}
 				}),
 		});
 	} else {
@@ -81,11 +86,18 @@ export default async function copyTemplate(tmpl: string, ctx: Context) {
 		} catch (err: any) {
 			fs.rmdirSync(ctx.cwd);
 			if (err.message.includes('404')) {
-				await error('Error', `Template ${color.reset(tmpl)} ${color.dim('does not exist!')}`);
+				throw new Error(`Template ${color.reset(tmpl)} ${color.dim('does not exist!')}`);
 			} else {
-				console.error(err.message);
+				throw new Error(err.message);
 			}
-			ctx.exit(1);
+		}
+
+		// It's possible the repo exists (ex. `withastro/astro`),
+		// But the template route is invalid (ex. `withastro/astro/examples/DNE`).
+		// `giget` doesn't throw for this case,
+		// so check if the directory is still empty as a heuristic.
+		if (fs.readdirSync(ctx.cwd).length === 0) {
+			throw new Error(`Template ${color.reset(tmpl)} ${color.dim('is empty!')}`);
 		}
 
 		// Post-process in parallel