diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index b71c85c0..34341ade 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ jobs:
         mamba list
         python -c "import qcelemental as q;print(q.__file__, q.__version__)"
         python -c "import qcengine as q;print(q.__file__, q.__version__)"
+        git describe
 
     - name: QCEngineRecords
       run: |
diff --git a/qcengine/programs/psi4.py b/qcengine/programs/psi4.py
index 5080e9c5..6de947e7 100644
--- a/qcengine/programs/psi4.py
+++ b/qcengine/programs/psi4.py
@@ -51,31 +51,46 @@ def found(raise_error: bool = False) -> bool:
         """
         psithon = which("psi4", return_bool=True)
         psiapi = which_import("psi4", return_bool=True)
+        error_msg = ""
+        error_which = which
 
         if psithon and not psiapi:
             with popen([which("psi4"), "--module"]) as exc:
                 exc["proc"].wait(timeout=30)
             if "module does not exist" in exc["stderr"]:
-                pass  # --module argument only in Psi4 DDD branch
+                psiapi = True  # --module argument only in Psi4 DDD branch (or >=1.6) so grandfathered in
             else:
-                sys.path.append(exc["stdout"].split()[-1])
+                so, se = exc["stdout"], exc["stderr"]
+                error_msg = f" In particular, psi4 command found but unable to load psi4 module into sys.path. stdout: {so}, stderr: {se}"
+                error_which = which_import
+                if (so) and (not se) and (exc["proc"].returncode == 0):
+                    psimod = Path(so.rstrip())  # stdout is string & Path is tolerant, so safe op
+                    if psimod.exists():
+                        sys.path.append(str(psimod))
+                        psiapi = which_import("psi4", return_bool=True)
 
         if psiapi and not psithon:
-            psiimport = str(Path(which_import("psi4")).parent.parent)
-            env = os.environ.copy()
-            env["PYTHONPATH"] = psiimport
-            with popen(["python", "-c", "import psi4; print(psi4.executable[:-5])"], popen_kwargs={"env": env}) as exc:
+            with popen(["python", "-c", "import psi4; print(psi4.executable)"]) as exc:
                 exc["proc"].wait(timeout=30)
-            os.environ["PATH"] += os.pathsep + exc["stdout"].split()[-1]
-
-        if psithon or psiapi:
+            so, se = exc["stdout"], exc["stderr"]
+            error_msg = f" In particular, psi4 module found but unable to load psi4 command into PATH. stdout: {so}, stderr: {se}"
+            # yes, everthing up to here could be got from `import psi4; psiexe = psi4.executable`. but, we try not to
+            #   load programs/modules in the `def found` fns.
+            if (so) and (not se) and (exc["proc"].returncode == 0):
+                psiexe = Path(so.rstrip())  # stdout is string & Path is tolerant, so safe op
+                if psiexe.exists():
+                    os.environ["PATH"] += os.pathsep + str(psiexe.parent)
+                    psithon = which("psi4", return_bool=True)
+
+        if psithon and psiapi:
             return True
 
-        return which(
+        return error_which(
             "psi4",
             return_bool=True,
             raise_error=raise_error,
-            raise_msg="Please install via `conda install psi4 -c psi4`. Check it's in your PATH with `which psi4`.",
+            raise_msg="Please install via `conda install psi4 -c conda-forge/label/libint_dev -c conda-forge`. Check it's in your PATH with `which psi4`."
+            + error_msg,
         )
 
     def get_version(self) -> str:
@@ -85,7 +100,9 @@ def get_version(self) -> str:
         if which_prog not in self.version_cache:
             with popen([which_prog, "--version"]) as exc:
                 exc["proc"].wait(timeout=30)
-            self.version_cache[which_prog] = safe_version(exc["stdout"].split()[-1])
+            if (exc["proc"].returncode != 0) or exc["stderr"]:
+                raise TypeError(f"Error {exc['proc'].returncode} retrieving Psi4 version: " + exc["stderr"])
+            self.version_cache[which_prog] = safe_version(exc["stdout"].rstrip())
 
         candidate_version = self.version_cache[which_prog]