diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunction.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunction.java
index 2a0ace8e215798..cf93fb2933e8de 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunction.java
@@ -17,12 +17,14 @@
 
 import static com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet.toImmutableSet;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
 import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableCollection;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
+import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.BlazeVersionInfo;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.bazel.BazelVersion;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.bazel.bzlmod.InterimModule.DepSpec;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.skyframe.SkyframeLookupResult;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Set;
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 /**
@@ -119,6 +122,8 @@ private static Selection.Result discoverAndSelect(Environment env, RootModuleFil
       return null;
     }
 
+    verifyAllOverridesAreOnExistentModules(initialDepGraph, root.getOverrides());
+
     Selection.Result selectionResult;
     try (SilentCloseable c = Profiler.instance().profile(ProfilerTask.BZLMOD, "selection")) {
       selectionResult = Selection.run(initialDepGraph, root.getOverrides());
@@ -152,6 +157,23 @@ private static Selection.Result discoverAndSelect(Environment env, RootModuleFil
     return selectionResult;
   }
 
+  private static void verifyAllOverridesAreOnExistentModules(
+      ImmutableMap<ModuleKey, InterimModule> initialDepGraph,
+      ImmutableMap<String, ModuleOverride> overrides)
+      throws BazelModuleResolutionFunctionException {
+    ImmutableSet<String> existentModules =
+        initialDepGraph.values().stream().map(InterimModule::getName).collect(toImmutableSet());
+    Set<String> nonexistentModules = Sets.difference(overrides.keySet(), existentModules);
+    if (!nonexistentModules.isEmpty()) {
+      throw new BazelModuleResolutionFunctionException(
+          ExternalDepsException.withMessage(
+              Code.BAD_MODULE,
+              "the root module specifies overrides on nonexistent module(s): %s",
+              Joiner.on(", ").join(nonexistentModules)),
+          Transience.PERSISTENT);
+    }
+  }
+
   private static void verifyRootModuleDirectDepsAreAccurate(
       InterimModule discoveredRootModule,
       InterimModule resolvedRootModule,
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunctionTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunctionTest.java
index 4ee98ed19af66f..a5c5ba6aba5351 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunctionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelModuleResolutionFunctionTest.java
@@ -440,4 +440,40 @@ public void testYankedVersionSideEffects_differentCompatibilityLevel() throws Ex
                 + " compatibility level 3 which is different");
     assertDoesNotContainEvent("hello from yanked version");
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void overrideOnNonexistentModule() throws Exception {
+    scratch.file(
+        rootDirectory.getRelative("MODULE.bazel").getPathString(),
+        "module(name='mod', version='1.0')",
+        "bazel_dep(name = 'a', version = '1.0')",
+        "bazel_dep(name = 'b', version = '1.1')",
+        "local_path_override(module_name='d', path='whatevs')");
+
+    FakeRegistry registry =
+        registryFactory
+            .newFakeRegistry("/bar")
+            .addModule(
+                createModuleKey("a", "1.0"),
+                "module(name='a', version='1.0')",
+                "bazel_dep(name='b', version='1.0')")
+            .addModule(createModuleKey("c", "1.0"), "module(name='c', version='1.0')")
+            .addModule(createModuleKey("c", "1.1"), "module(name='c', version='1.1')")
+            .addModule(
+                createModuleKey("b", "1.0"),
+                "module(name='b', version='1.0')",
+                "bazel_dep(name='c', version='1.1')")
+            .addModule(
+                createModuleKey("b", "1.1"),
+                "module(name='b', version='1.1')",
+                "bazel_dep(name='c', version='1.0')");
+
+    ModuleFileFunction.REGISTRIES.set(differencer, ImmutableList.of(registry.getUrl()));
+    EvaluationResult<BazelModuleResolutionValue> result =
+        evaluator.evaluate(ImmutableList.of(BazelModuleResolutionValue.KEY), evaluationContext);
+
+    assertThat(result.hasError()).isTrue();
+    assertThat(result.getError().toString())
+        .contains("the root module specifies overrides on nonexistent module(s): d");
+  }
 }