diff --git a/testsuite/drivers/alr.py b/testsuite/drivers/alr.py
index 8ae2fe38e..856a328b2 100644
--- a/testsuite/drivers/alr.py
+++ b/testsuite/drivers/alr.py
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ def alr_with(dep="", path="", url="", commit="", branch="",
             return run_alr(*args, force=force)
 
 
-def add_action(type, command, name="", directory=""):
+def add_action(type: str, command: [str], name="", directory=""):
     """
     Add an action to the manifest in the current directory.
     :param str type: "pre-build", etc
diff --git a/testsuite/drivers/asserts.py b/testsuite/drivers/asserts.py
index a62f1d5b3..2cc332349 100644
--- a/testsuite/drivers/asserts.py
+++ b/testsuite/drivers/asserts.py
@@ -134,3 +134,11 @@ def match_deploy_dir(crate : str, path_fragment : str):
     assert_match(f".*[: ]{crate.upper()}_ALIRE_PREFIX=[^\\n]*"
                  f"{re.escape(path_fragment)}[^\\n]*{crate}_.*",
                  p.out)
+
+
+def assert_substring(target: str, text: str):
+    """
+    Check that a string is contained in another string
+    """
+    assert target in text, \
+        f"Missing expected string '{target}' in text:\n{text}"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testsuite/tests/action/missing-exec/test.py b/testsuite/tests/action/missing-exec/test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d467743e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/tests/action/missing-exec/test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+"""
+Check that an action trying to run a missing executable reports such an error.
+"""
+
+from drivers.alr import run_alr, add_action, init_local_crate
+from drivers.asserts import assert_substring
+
+init_local_crate()
+
+add_action('pre-build', ['fake-missing-exec'])
+
+p = run_alr("build", complain_on_error=False)
+
+assert_substring("Command not found  [fake-missing-exec]",
+                 p.out)
+
+print('SUCCESS')
diff --git a/testsuite/tests/action/missing-exec/test.yaml b/testsuite/tests/action/missing-exec/test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00fb56e10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/tests/action/missing-exec/test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+driver: python-script
+build_mode: both
+indexes: {}
\ No newline at end of file