diff --git a/src/dstack/_internal/cli/services/presets/registry.py b/src/dstack/_internal/cli/services/presets/registry.py
index 82e6f7008b..76fa085455 100644
--- a/src/dstack/_internal/cli/services/presets/registry.py
+++ b/src/dstack/_internal/cli/services/presets/registry.py
@@ -116,7 +116,9 @@ def push_preset_to_registry(store: PresetStore, local_ref: str, registry_ref: st
         raise CLIError(f"Preset {local_ref!r} cannot be pushed: {e}") from e
     try:
         client.presets.push(project, name=name, spec=spec)
-    except (URLNotFoundError, MethodNotAllowedError):
+    except URLNotFoundError as e:
+        raise _registry_url_not_found_error(project, client) from e
+    except MethodNotAllowedError:
         raise _registry_not_supported_error(project, client)
     console.print("OK")
 
@@ -126,7 +128,9 @@ def pull_preset_from_registry(store: PresetStore, registry_ref: str) -> None:
     client = resolve_registry_client(project)
     try:
         remote = client.presets.get(project, name_or_id)
-    except (URLNotFoundError, MethodNotAllowedError):
+    except URLNotFoundError as e:
+        raise _registry_url_not_found_error(project, client) from e
+    except MethodNotAllowedError:
         raise _registry_not_supported_error(project, client)
     except ResourceNotExistsError as e:
         # The server's detail names the bare ref; the qualified one reads better.
@@ -278,6 +282,17 @@ def _registry_not_supported_error(project: str, client: APIClient) -> CLIError:
     )
 
 
+def _registry_url_not_found_error(project: str, client: APIClient) -> CLIError:
+    """Distinguishes a missing project from a server without registry routes."""
+    try:
+        client.projects.get(project)
+    except (URLNotFoundError, ResourceNotExistsError):
+        return CLIError(f"Project {project!r} does not exist")
+    except MethodNotAllowedError:
+        pass
+    return _registry_not_supported_error(project, client)
+
+
 def _relative_pushed_path(local_path: str, preset_dir: Path) -> str:
     path = Path(local_path)
     for base in (preset_dir, preset_dir.resolve()):
diff --git a/src/tests/_internal/cli/services/presets/test_registry.py b/src/tests/_internal/cli/services/presets/test_registry.py
index c5bd5a0092..edd896883e 100644
--- a/src/tests/_internal/cli/services/presets/test_registry.py
+++ b/src/tests/_internal/cli/services/presets/test_registry.py
@@ -97,6 +97,16 @@ def _raise_if_failing(self):
             raise self.error
 
 
+class FakeProjectsAPIClient:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.error: Optional[Exception] = None
+
+    def get(self, project_name):
+        if self.error is not None:
+            raise self.error
+        return SimpleNamespace(name=project_name)
+
+
 def _registry_preset_info(*, name: Optional[str] = "qwen38") -> PushPresetResponse:
     return PushPresetResponse(
         id=uuid4(),
@@ -183,7 +193,13 @@ def _archive_member_texts(blob: bytes) -> dict[str, str]:
 @pytest.fixture
 def stub_client(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
     fake = FakePresetsAPIClient()
-    client = SimpleNamespace(presets=fake, files=fake.files, base_url="http://test-server")
+    fake.projects = FakeProjectsAPIClient()
+    client = SimpleNamespace(
+        presets=fake,
+        files=fake.files,
+        projects=fake.projects,
+        base_url="http://test-server",
+    )
     monkeypatch.setattr(registry_module, "resolve_registry_client", lambda project: client)
     return fake
 
@@ -656,6 +672,13 @@ def test_maps_a_missing_preset_to_a_qualified_does_not_exist_error(
         with pytest.raises(CLIError, match="'main/qwen38' does not exist"):
             pull_preset_from_registry(PresetStore(tmp_path / "presets"), "main/qwen38")
 
+    def test_maps_a_missing_project_to_a_does_not_exist_error(self, tmp_path, stub_client):
+        stub_client.error = URLNotFoundError("Status code 404")
+        stub_client.projects.error = URLNotFoundError("Status code 404")
+
+        with pytest.raises(CLIError, match="Project 'unknown-project' does not exist"):
+            pull_preset_from_registry(PresetStore(tmp_path / "presets"), "unknown-project/qwen38")
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "error",
         [