diff --git a/src/commands/plugins/install.ts b/src/commands/plugins/install.ts
index b25b48fd..03d6cf58 100644
--- a/src/commands/plugins/install.ts
+++ b/src/commands/plugins/install.ts
@@ -55,17 +55,22 @@ e.g. If you have a core plugin that has a 'hello' command, installing a user-ins
       await this.config.runHook('plugins:preinstall', {
         plugin: p,
       })
-      if (p.type === 'npm') {
-        cli.action.start(
-          `Installing plugin ${chalk.cyan(this.plugins.friendlyName(p.name))}`,
-        )
-        plugin = await this.plugins.install(p.name, {
-          tag: p.tag,
-          force: flags.force,
-        })
-      } else {
-        cli.action.start(`Installing plugin ${chalk.cyan(p.url)}`)
-        plugin = await this.plugins.install(p.url, {force: flags.force})
+      try {
+        if (p.type === 'npm') {
+          cli.action.start(
+            `Installing plugin ${chalk.cyan(this.plugins.friendlyName(p.name))}`,
+          )
+          plugin = await this.plugins.install(p.name, {
+            tag: p.tag,
+            force: flags.force,
+          })
+        } else {
+          cli.action.start(`Installing plugin ${chalk.cyan(p.url)}`)
+          plugin = await this.plugins.install(p.url, {force: flags.force})
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        cli.action.stop(chalk.bold.red('failed'))
+        throw error
       }
       cli.action.stop(`installed v${plugin.version}`)
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins.ts b/src/plugins.ts
index e8273971..6a7efc01 100644
--- a/src/plugins.ts
+++ b/src/plugins.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ export default class Plugins {
       await this.createPJSON()
       let plugin
       const add = force ? ['add', '--force'] : ['add']
+      const invalidPluginError = new CLIError('plugin is invalid', {
+        suggestions: [
+          'Plugin failed to install because it does not appear to be a valid CLI plugin.\nIf you are sure it is, contact the CLI developer noting this error.',
+        ],
+      })
       if (name.includes(':')) {
         // url
         const url = name
@@ -63,7 +68,7 @@ export default class Plugins {
         plugin = await Config.load({devPlugins: false, userPlugins: false, root: path.join(this.config.dataDir, 'node_modules', name), name})
         await this.refresh(plugin.root)
         if (!plugin.valid && !this.config.plugins.find(p => p.name === '@oclif/plugin-legacy')) {
-          throw new Error('plugin is invalid')
+          throw invalidPluginError
         }
         await this.add({name, url, type: 'user'})
       } else {
@@ -76,7 +81,7 @@ export default class Plugins {
         await this.yarn.exec([...add, `${name}@${tag}`], yarnOpts)
         plugin = await Config.load({devPlugins: false, userPlugins: false, root: path.join(this.config.dataDir, 'node_modules', name), name})
         if (!plugin.valid && !this.config.plugins.find(p => p.name === '@oclif/plugin-legacy')) {
-          throw new Error('plugin is invalid')
+          throw invalidPluginError
         }
         await this.refresh(plugin.root)
         await this.add({name, tag: range || tag, type: 'user'})