diff --git a/lib/github/tree.js b/lib/github/tree.js
index 4f166861..7316d90b 100644
--- a/lib/github/tree.js
+++ b/lib/github/tree.js
@@ -35,7 +35,16 @@ export default class GitHubTree {
       branch,
       path
     });
-    return data.repository.ref.target.history.nodes[0].oid;
+
+    const targetHistoryNodes = data.repository.ref.target.history.nodes;
+    if (!targetHistoryNodes.length) {
+      this.cli.stopSpinner(
+        `Cannot find commit for "${path}". Please check the path name.`,
+        this.cli.SPINNER_STATUS.FAILED
+      );
+      throw new Error(`Cannot find commit for "${path}"`);
+    }
+    return targetHistoryNodes[0].oid;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/unit/wpt_updater.test.js b/test/unit/wpt_updater.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4265a465
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/wpt_updater.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { describe, it, before, after } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert';
+import TestCLI from '../fixtures/test_cli.js';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+
+import { WPTUpdater } from '../../lib/wpt/index.js';
+
+describe('WPTUpdater', function() {
+  const UNKNOWN_PATH = 'unknown path';
+  let request;
+  let wptUpdater;
+  let nodedir;
+  let cli;
+  let path;
+  const emptyData = {
+    repository:
+    {
+      ref: { target: { history: { nodes: [] } } }
+    }
+  };
+
+  before(() => {
+    cli = new TestCLI();
+    request = {
+      gql: sinon.stub()
+    };
+    nodedir = '.';
+    request.gql.withArgs(
+      'LastCommit',
+      {
+        owner: 'web-platform-tests',
+        repo: 'wpt',
+        branch: 'master',
+        path: UNKNOWN_PATH
+      }
+    ).returns(Promise.resolve(emptyData));
+  });
+
+  after(() => {
+    cli.clearCalls();
+  });
+
+  it('exits with meaningful error when WPT name not found', async() => {
+    path = UNKNOWN_PATH;
+    wptUpdater = new WPTUpdater(path, cli, request, nodedir);
+    let thrown;
+    try {
+      await wptUpdater.update();
+    } catch (e) {
+      thrown = e;
+    }
+
+    assert(thrown instanceof Error);
+    assert(thrown.message, `Cannot find commit for "${path}"`);
+    cli.assertCalledWith(
+      {
+
+        stopSpinner: [[
+          `Cannot find commit for "${path}". Please check the path name.`,
+          'failed'
+        ]]
+      }, { ignore: ['startSpinner', 'separator', 'log', 'updateSpinner'] });
+  });
+});