diff --git a/src/utils.py b/src/utils.py
index 276e7b0a..227c6525 100644
--- a/src/utils.py
+++ b/src/utils.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 from six import iteritems
 
-from .exceptions import ExecUtilException
+from .exceptions import ExecUtilException, InvalidOperationException
 from .config import testgres_config as tconf
 from .raise_error import RaiseError
 from .enums import NodeStatus
@@ -263,7 +263,12 @@ def cache_pg_config_data(cmd):
         return cache_pg_config_data(cmd)
 
     # try plain name
-    return cache_pg_config_data("pg_config")
+    try:
+        pg_config_data = cache_pg_config_data("pg_config")
+    except Exception:
+        raise InvalidOperationException(
+            "Failed to determine how to start pg_config. Either specify the path to pg_config in PG_CONFIG or specify the path to the Postgres directory containing pg_config in PG_BIN, or put pg_config into the system PATH.")
+    return pg_config_data
 
 
 def get_pg_version2(os_ops: OsOperations, bin_dir=None):