diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
index 6e7319a1c..8868b3fda 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_flash.py
@@ -79,13 +79,18 @@ Prerequisites:
                         help="actions to perform, default: flash everything")
     return parser
 
+def which_openocd():
+    openocd = shutil.which("openocd")
+    if not openocd:
+        raise FileNotFoundError("OpenOCD is required but was not found in PATH. Is it installed?")
+    return openocd
 
 def scripts_path():
     p = ["share", "openocd", "scripts"]
     if os.name == "nt":
         p.insert(0, "Library")
     p = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(
-        os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(shutil.which("openocd"))),
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(which_openocd())),
         "..", *p))
     return p
 
@@ -93,7 +98,7 @@ def scripts_path():
 def proxy_path():
     p = ["share", "bscan-spi-bitstreams"]
     p = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(
-        os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(shutil.which("openocd"))),
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(which_openocd())),
         "..", *p))
     return p