diff --git a/radicle-cli/examples/rad-sync-without-node.md b/radicle-cli/examples/rad-sync-without-node.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4fdd49d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/radicle-cli/examples/rad-sync-without-node.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+When you try to track, clone, or sync without your node running, it gives you an error:
+
+``` ~alice (fail)
+$ rad track rad:z3gqcJUoA1n9HaHKufZs5FCSGazv5 --no-fetch
+✗ Track failed: to track a repository, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`
+```
+
+``` ~bob (fail)
+$ rad clone rad:z3gqcJUoA1n9HaHKufZs5FCSGazv5
+✗ Clone failed: to clone a repository, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`
+```
+
+``` ~eve (fail)
+$ rad sync --fetch rad:z3gqcJUoA1n9HaHKufZs5FCSGazv5 --seed z6MksmpU5b1dS7oaqF2bHXhQi1DWy2hB7Mh9CuN7y1DN6QSz
+✗ Sync failed: to sync a repository, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`
+```
diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/commands/clone.rs b/radicle-cli/src/commands/clone.rs
index 3f54713d..633ba94a 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/commands/clone.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/commands/clone.rs
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ pub fn run(options: Options, ctx: impl term::Context) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let profile = ctx.profile()?;
     let signer = term::signer(&profile)?;
     let mut node = radicle::Node::new(profile.socket());
+
+    if !node.is_running() {
+        anyhow::bail!(
+            "to clone a repository, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`"
+        );
+    }
+
     let (working, doc, proj) = clone(
         options.id,
         options.announce,
diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/commands/sync.rs b/radicle-cli/src/commands/sync.rs
index df3a0e13..92bb97ac 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/commands/sync.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/commands/sync.rs
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ pub fn run(options: Options, ctx: impl term::Context) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         }
     };
     let mut node = radicle::Node::new(profile.socket());
+    if !node.is_running() {
+        anyhow::bail!(
+            "to sync a repository, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`"
+        );
+    }
     let mode = options.sync.mode;
 
     if [SyncDirection::Fetch, SyncDirection::Both].contains(&options.sync.direction) {
diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/commands/track.rs b/radicle-cli/src/commands/track.rs
index e285bd40..15a479c3 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/commands/track.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/commands/track.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use std::time;
 
 use anyhow::anyhow;
 
+use radicle::node;
 use radicle::node::tracking::{Alias, Scope};
 use radicle::node::{Handle, NodeId};
 use radicle::{prelude::*, Node};
@@ -118,10 +119,14 @@ pub fn run(options: Options, ctx: impl term::Context) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     match options.op {
         Operation::TrackNode { nid, alias } => {
-            track_node(nid, alias, &mut node)?;
+            if let Err(node::Error::Connect(_)) = track_node(nid, alias, &mut node) {
+                anyhow::bail!("to track another node, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`");
+            }
         }
         Operation::TrackRepo { rid, scope } => {
-            track_repo(rid, scope, &mut node)?;
+            if let Err(node::Error::Connect(_)) = track_repo(rid, scope, &mut node) {
+                anyhow::bail!("to track a repository, your node must be running. To start it, run `rad node start`");
+            }
 
             if options.fetch {
                 sync::fetch(
@@ -136,7 +141,7 @@ pub fn run(options: Options, ctx: impl term::Context) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub fn track_repo(rid: Id, scope: Scope, node: &mut Node) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+pub fn track_repo(rid: Id, scope: Scope, node: &mut Node) -> Result<(), node::Error> {
     let tracked = node.track_repo(rid, scope)?;
     let outcome = if tracked { "updated" } else { "exists" };
 
@@ -148,7 +153,7 @@ pub fn track_repo(rid: Id, scope: Scope, node: &mut Node) -> anyhow::Result<()>
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub fn track_node(nid: NodeId, alias: Option<Alias>, node: &mut Node) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+pub fn track_node(nid: NodeId, alias: Option<Alias>, node: &mut Node) -> Result<(), node::Error> {
     let tracked = node.track_node(nid, alias.clone())?;
     let outcome = if tracked { "updated" } else { "exists" };
 
diff --git a/radicle-cli/tests/commands.rs b/radicle-cli/tests/commands.rs
index 54613db4..3437f6db 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/tests/commands.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/tests/commands.rs
@@ -587,6 +587,37 @@ fn rad_clone_connect() {
     .unwrap();
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn rad_sync_without_node() {
+    let mut environment = Environment::new();
+    let alice = environment.node(Config::test(Alias::new("alice")));
+    let bob = environment.node(Config::test(Alias::new("bob")));
+    let mut eve = environment.node(Config::test(Alias::new("eve")));
+
+    let rid = Id::from_urn("rad:z3gqcJUoA1n9HaHKufZs5FCSGazv5").unwrap();
+    eve.tracking.track_repo(&rid, Scope::All).unwrap();
+
+    formula(&environment.tmp(), "examples/rad-sync-without-node.md")
+        .unwrap()
+        .home(
+            "alice",
+            alice.home.path(),
+            [("RAD_HOME", alice.home.path().display())],
+        )
+        .home(
+            "bob",
+            bob.home.path(),
+            [("RAD_HOME", bob.home.path().display())],
+        )
+        .home(
+            "eve",
+            eve.home.path(),
+            [("RAD_HOME", eve.home.path().display())],
+        )
+        .run()
+        .unwrap();
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn rad_self() {
     let mut environment = Environment::new();