diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/program.ts b/packages/playwright/src/program.ts
index 19eabe6517..883a358a26 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/program.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/program.ts
@@ -337,6 +337,9 @@ function overridesFromOptions(options: { [key: string]: any }): ConfigCLIOverrid
     overrides.use = overrides.use || {};
     overrides.use.trace = options.trace;
   }
+  if (overrides.tsconfig && !fs.existsSync(overrides.tsconfig))
+    throw new Error(`--tsconfig "${options.tsconfig}" does not exist`);
+
   return overrides;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/playwright-test/config.spec.ts b/tests/playwright-test/config.spec.ts
index a2c61d62dd..77e5fb23f6 100644
--- a/tests/playwright-test/config.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/playwright-test/config.spec.ts
@@ -719,14 +719,14 @@ test('should throw on nonexistant config.tsconfig', async ({ runInlineTest }) =>
         tsconfig: './does-not-exist.json',
       };
     `,
-    'tests/a.test.ts': `
-      import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-      test('test', ({}) => {
-        expect(1).toBe(1);
-      });
-    `,
   });
 
   expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
   expect(result.output).toContain(`config.tsconfig does not exist`);
 });
+
+test('should throw on invalid --tsconfig', async ({ runInlineTest }) => {
+  const result = await runInlineTest({}, { 'tsconfig': 'does-not-exist.json' });
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  expect(result.output).toContain(`--tsconfig "does-not-exist.json" does not exist`);
+});