diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/src/DifferentiationInterface.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/src/DifferentiationInterface.jl
index 5f88f4058..80439ad8a 100644
--- a/DifferentiationInterface/src/DifferentiationInterface.jl
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/src/DifferentiationInterface.jl
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ include("utils/basis.jl")
 include("utils/printing.jl")
 include("utils/chunk.jl")
 include("utils/check.jl")
+include("utils/exceptions.jl")
 
 include("first_order/pushforward.jl")
 include("first_order/pullback.jl")
diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pullback.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pullback.jl
index add2dca62..b2a3cff92 100644
--- a/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pullback.jl
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pullback.jl
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ function prepare_pullback_aux(f!, y, backend, x, dy, ::PullbackSlow)
     return PushforwardPullbackExtras(pushforward_extras)
 end
 
+# Throw error if backend is missing
+prepare_pullback_aux(f, backend, x, dy, ::PullbackFast)     = throw(MissingBackendError(backend))
+prepare_pullback_aux(f!, y, backend, x, dy, ::PullbackFast) = throw(MissingBackendError(backend))
+
 ## One argument
 
 function value_and_pullback(
diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pushforward.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pushforward.jl
index 4b99aed77..f600f533e 100644
--- a/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pushforward.jl
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/src/first_order/pushforward.jl
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ function prepare_pushforward_aux(f!, y, backend, x, dx, ::PushforwardSlow)
     return PullbackPushforwardExtras(pullback_extras)
 end
 
+# Throw error if backend is missing
+prepare_pushforward_aux(f, backend, x, dy, ::PushforwardFast)     = throw(MissingBackendError(backend))
+prepare_pushforward_aux(f!, y, backend, x, dy, ::PushforwardFast) = throw(MissingBackendError(backend))
+
 ## One argument
 
 function value_and_pushforward(
diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/exceptions.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/exceptions.jl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6509e78f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/exceptions.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+struct MissingBackendError <: Exception
+    backend::AbstractADType
+end
+function Base.showerror(io::IO, e::MissingBackendError)
+    println(io, "failed to use $(backend_string(e.backend)) backend.")
+    if !check_available(e.backend)
+        print(
+            io,
+            """Backend package is not loaded. To fix, run
+
+              using $(backend_package_name(e.backend))
+            """,
+        )
+    else
+        print(
+            io,
+            "Please open an issue: https://github.com/gdalle/DifferentiationInterface.jl/issues/new",
+        )
+    end
+end
diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/printing.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/printing.jl
index 8502224df..f5bd7ad79 100644
--- a/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/printing.jl
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/src/utils/printing.jl
@@ -1,18 +1,21 @@
-backend_string_aux(b::AbstractADType) = string(b)
+backend_package_name(b::AbstractADType) = strip(string(b), ['(', ')'])
 
-backend_string_aux(::AutoChainRules) = "ChainRules"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoDiffractor) = "Diffractor"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoEnzyme) = "Enzyme"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoFastDifferentiation) = "FastDifferentiation"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoFiniteDiff) = "FiniteDiff"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoFiniteDifferences) = "FiniteDifferences"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoForwardDiff) = "ForwardDiff"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoPolyesterForwardDiff) = "PolyesterForwardDiff"
+backend_package_name(::AutoChainRules) = "ChainRules"
+backend_package_name(::AutoDiffractor) = "Diffractor"
+backend_package_name(::AutoEnzyme) = "Enzyme"
+backend_package_name(::AutoFastDifferentiation) = "FastDifferentiation"
+backend_package_name(::AutoFiniteDiff) = "FiniteDiff"
+backend_package_name(::AutoFiniteDifferences) = "FiniteDifferences"
+backend_package_name(::AutoForwardDiff) = "ForwardDiff"
+backend_package_name(::AutoPolyesterForwardDiff) = "PolyesterForwardDiff"
+backend_package_name(::AutoSymbolics) = "Symbolics"
+backend_package_name(::AutoTapir) = "Tapir"
+backend_package_name(::AutoTracker) = "Tracker"
+backend_package_name(::AutoZygote) = "Zygote"
+backend_package_name(::AutoReverseDiff) = "ReverseDiff"
+
+backend_string_aux(b::AbstractADType) = backend_package_name(b)
 backend_string_aux(b::AutoReverseDiff) = "ReverseDiff$(b.compile ? "{compiled}" : "")"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoSymbolics) = "Symbolics"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoTapir) = "Tapir"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoTracker) = "Tracker"
-backend_string_aux(::AutoZygote) = "Zygote"
 
 function backend_string(backend::AbstractADType)
     bs = backend_string_aux(backend)
diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/test/runtests.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/test/runtests.jl
index a35ed0817..03eeafef4 100644
--- a/DifferentiationInterface/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/test/runtests.jl
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ include("test_imports.jl")
 
     Documenter.doctest(DifferentiationInterface)
 
+    @testset verbose = true "Exception handling" begin
+        include("test_exceptions.jl")
+    end
     @testset verbose = true "First order" begin
         include("first_order.jl")
     end
diff --git a/DifferentiationInterface/test/test_exceptions.jl b/DifferentiationInterface/test/test_exceptions.jl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ac9cea60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DifferentiationInterface/test/test_exceptions.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+using DifferentiationInterface: MissingBackendError
+
+"""
+    AutoBrokenForward <: ADTypes.AbstractADType
+
+Available forward-mode backend with no pushforward implementation.
+Used to test error messages.
+"""
+struct AutoBrokenForward <: AbstractADType end
+ADTypes.mode(::AutoBrokenForward) = ADTypes.ForwardMode()
+DifferentiationInterface.check_available(::AutoBrokenForward) = true
+
+"""
+    AutoBrokenReverse <: ADTypes.AbstractADType
+
+Available reverse-mode backend with no pullback implementation.
+Used to test error messages. 
+"""
+struct AutoBrokenReverse <: AbstractADType end
+ADTypes.mode(::AutoBrokenReverse) = ADTypes.ReverseMode()
+DifferentiationInterface.check_available(::AutoBrokenReverse) = true
+
+## Test exceptions
+@testset "MissingBackendError" begin
+    f(x::AbstractArray) = sum(abs2, x)
+    x = [1.0, 2.0, 3.0]
+
+    @test_throws MissingBackendError gradient(f, AutoBrokenForward(), x)
+    @test_throws MissingBackendError gradient(f, AutoBrokenReverse(), x)
+
+    @test_throws MissingBackendError hvp(f, AutoBrokenForward(), x, x)
+    @test_throws MissingBackendError hvp(f, AutoBrokenReverse(), x, x)
+end