diff --git a/cmd/oras/internal/option/target.go b/cmd/oras/internal/option/target.go
index 95194f6ac..a2f0e6995 100644
--- a/cmd/oras/internal/option/target.go
+++ b/cmd/oras/internal/option/target.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ type Target struct {
 	//  - registry and repository for the remote target
 	Path string
 
-	isOCILayout bool
+	IsOCILayout bool
 }
 
 // ApplyFlags applies flags to a command flag set for unary target
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (opts *Target) AnnotatedReference() string {
 // the full form is not implemented until a new type comes in.
 func (opts *Target) applyFlagsWithPrefix(fs *pflag.FlagSet, prefix, description string) {
 	flagPrefix, notePrefix := applyPrefix(prefix, description)
-	fs.BoolVarP(&opts.isOCILayout, flagPrefix+"oci-layout", "", false, "set "+notePrefix+"target as an OCI image layout")
+	fs.BoolVarP(&opts.IsOCILayout, flagPrefix+"oci-layout", "", false, "set "+notePrefix+"target as an OCI image layout")
 }
 
 // ApplyFlagsWithPrefix applies flags to a command flag set with a prefix string.
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func (opts *Target) ApplyFlagsWithPrefix(fs *pflag.FlagSet, prefix, description
 // Parse gets target options from user input.
 func (opts *Target) Parse() error {
 	switch {
-	case opts.isOCILayout:
+	case opts.IsOCILayout:
 		opts.Type = TargetTypeOCILayout
 		if len(opts.headerFlags) != 0 {
 			return errors.New("custom header flags cannot be used on an OCI image layout target")
diff --git a/cmd/oras/internal/option/target_test.go b/cmd/oras/internal/option/target_test.go
index d01eeadde..fd13221ae 100644
--- a/cmd/oras/internal/option/target_test.go
+++ b/cmd/oras/internal/option/target_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestTarget_Parse_oci(t *testing.T) {
-	opts := Target{isOCILayout: true}
+	opts := Target{IsOCILayout: true}
 
 	if err := opts.Parse(); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Target.Parse() error = %v", err)
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func TestTarget_Parse_oci(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestTarget_Parse_remote(t *testing.T) {
-	opts := Target{isOCILayout: false}
+	opts := Target{IsOCILayout: false}
 	if err := opts.Parse(); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Target.Parse() error = %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/oras/root/tag.go b/cmd/oras/root/tag.go
index e4f65f830..dcc857f1f 100644
--- a/cmd/oras/root/tag.go
+++ b/cmd/oras/root/tag.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package root
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -58,7 +59,20 @@ Example - Tag the manifest 'v1.0.1' in 'localhost:5000/hello' to 'v1.0.1', 'v1.0
 Example - Tag the manifest 'v1.0.1' to 'v1.0.2' in an OCI image layout folder 'layout-dir':
   oras tag layout-dir:v1.0.1 v1.0.2
 `,
-		Args: oerrors.CheckArgs(argument.AtLeast(1), "the to-be-retage artifact and the tags to be added"),
+		Args: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			if len(args) > 0 && (args[0] == "list" || args[0] == "ls") {
+				container := "a repository"
+				if opts.IsOCILayout {
+					container = "an OCI image layout"
+				}
+				return &oerrors.Error{
+					Err:            errors.New(`there is no "list" sub-command for "oras tag" command`),
+					Usage:          fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", cmd.CommandPath(), cmd.Use),
+					Recommendation: fmt.Sprintf(`If you want to list available tags in %s, use "oras repo tags"`, container),
+				}
+			}
+			return oerrors.CheckArgs(argument.AtLeast(1), "the artifact to be retagged and the tags to be added")(cmd, args)
+		},
 		PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.RawReference = args[0]
 			if _, err := registry.ParseReference(opts.RawReference); err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite/command/tag.go b/test/e2e/suite/command/tag.go
index 0daf4e840..3c98dcea3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/suite/command/tag.go
+++ b/test/e2e/suite/command/tag.go
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@ var _ = Describe("ORAS beginners:", func() {
 			ORAS("tag", RegistryRef(ZOTHost, ImageRepo, "i-dont-think-this-tag-exists"), "tagged").ExpectFailure().MatchErrKeyWords("Error:").Exec()
 		})
 
-		It("should fail when provided invalid reference", func() {
-			ORAS("tag", "list", "tagged").ExpectFailure().MatchErrKeyWords("Error:", "'list'").Exec()
-		})
-
 		It("should fail and show detailed error description if no argument provided", func() {
 			err := ORAS("tag").ExpectFailure().Exec().Err
 			gomega.Expect(err).Should(gbytes.Say("Error"))
@@ -47,6 +43,11 @@ var _ = Describe("ORAS beginners:", func() {
 			gomega.Expect(err).Should(gbytes.Say("\n"))
 			gomega.Expect(err).Should(gbytes.Say(`Run "oras tag -h"`))
 		})
+
+		It("should fail with suggestion if calling with `tag list`", func() {
+			ORAS("tag", "list").ExpectFailure().MatchErrKeyWords("Error:", `there is no "list" sub-command for "oras tag" command`, "repository", "oras repo tags").Exec()
+			ORAS("tag", "list", Flags.Layout).ExpectFailure().MatchErrKeyWords("Error:", `there is no "list" sub-command for "oras tag" command`, "OCI Image Layout", "oras repo tags").Exec()
+		})
 	})
 })