diff --git a/pkg/cmd/auth/login/login.go b/pkg/cmd/auth/login/login.go
index 995405021..7866682bf 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/auth/login/login.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/auth/login/login.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
@@ -70,6 +71,10 @@ func NewCmdLogin(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*LoginOptions) error) *cobra.Comm
 			$ gh auth login --hostname enterprise.internal
 		`),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			if !isGitInPath() {
+				return errors.New("git executable not found in $PATH")
+			}
+
 			if !opts.IO.CanPrompt() && !(tokenStdin || opts.Web) {
 				return &cmdutil.FlagError{Err: errors.New("--web or --with-token required when not running interactively")}
 			}
@@ -119,6 +124,11 @@ func NewCmdLogin(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*LoginOptions) error) *cobra.Comm
 	return cmd
 }
 
+func isGitInPath() bool {
+	_, err := exec.LookPath("git")
+	return err == nil
+}
+
 func loginRun(opts *LoginOptions) error {
 	cfg, err := opts.Config()
 	if err != nil {