diff --git a/test-framework/junit5/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/junit/QuarkusTestExtension.java b/test-framework/junit5/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/junit/QuarkusTestExtension.java
index fcb079f2cf980..ca16cff914a37 100644
--- a/test-framework/junit5/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/junit/QuarkusTestExtension.java
+++ b/test-framework/junit5/src/main/java/io/quarkus/test/junit/QuarkusTestExtension.java
@@ -314,6 +314,11 @@ private ExtensionState doJavaStart(ExtensionContext context, Class<? extends Qua
                         .bootstrap();
             }
 
+            if (curatedApplication.getAppModel().getUserDependencies().isEmpty()) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(
+                        "The tests were run against a directory that does not contain a Quarkus project. Please ensure that the test is configured to use the proper working directory.");
+            }
+
             Index testClassesIndex = TestClassIndexer.indexTestClasses(requiredTestClass);
             // we need to write the Index to make it reusable from other parts of the testing infrastructure that run in different ClassLoaders
             TestClassIndexer.writeIndex(testClassesIndex, requiredTestClass);