diff --git a/plugin/plugin/src/main/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPlugin.kt b/plugin/plugin/src/main/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPlugin.kt
index db7cf20ab..83ae8d989 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin/src/main/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPlugin.kt
+++ b/plugin/plugin/src/main/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPlugin.kt
@@ -39,23 +39,24 @@ open class GITPluginExtension : VCSExtension {
 		}
 
 	override val isAvailableQuick: Boolean
-		get() {
-			// Check more than just the presence of .git to lessen the possibility of detecting "git",
-			// but not actually having a git repository.
-			val gitDir = RepositoryCache.FileKey.resolve(project.rootDir, FS.DETECTED)
-			return gitDir != null
-		}
+		get() = project.rootDir.resolve(".git").exists()
 
 	// 'git describe --always'.execute([], project.rootDir).waitFor() == 0
 	override val isAvailable: Boolean
-		get() = try {
-			open().close()
-			true
-		} catch (_: FileNotFoundException) {
-			// https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=572617
-			false
-		} catch (_: RepositoryNotFoundException) {
-			false
+		get() {
+			// Check more than just the presence of .git to lessen the possibility of detecting "git",
+			// but not actually having a git repository.
+			RepositoryCache.FileKey.resolve(project.rootDir, FS.DETECTED) ?: return false
+			return try {
+				// Actually try to open the repository now.
+				open().close()
+				true
+			} catch (_: FileNotFoundException) {
+				// https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=572617
+				false
+			} catch (_: RepositoryNotFoundException) {
+				false
+			}
 		}
 
 	// 'git rev-parse --short HEAD'.execute([], project.rootDir).text.trim()
diff --git a/plugin/plugin/src/test/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPluginIntgTest.kt b/plugin/plugin/src/test/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPluginIntgTest.kt
index 558aa0bf1..08f91e40a 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin/src/test/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPluginIntgTest.kt
+++ b/plugin/plugin/src/test/kotlin/net/twisterrob/gradle/vcs/GITPluginIntgTest.kt
@@ -59,17 +59,19 @@ class GITPluginIntgTest : BaseIntgTest() {
 		result.assertHasOutputLine("""GIT revision: 2""")
 	}
 
-	@Test fun `git works malformed git directory`() {
+	@Test fun `fails with malformed git directory`() {
 		gradle.root.resolve(".git").mkdir()
 		@Language("gradle")
 		val script = """
 			apply plugin: 'net.twisterrob.vcs'
 			println("VCS.current: " + project.VCS.current)
+			println("GIT revision: " + project.VCS.current.revision)
 		""".trimIndent()
 
-		val result = gradle.run(script).withDebug(true).build()
+		val result = gradle.run(script).buildAndFail()
 
-		result.assertHasOutputLine("""VCS.current: ${DummyVcsExtension::class.qualifiedName}@[a-z0-9]{1,8}""".toRegex())
+		result.assertHasOutputLine("""VCS.current: extension '${GITPluginExtension.NAME}'""".toRegex())
+		result.assertHasOutputLine("""> repository not found: \Q${gradle.root.absolutePath}\E""".toRegex())
 	}
 
 	/**