diff --git a/pkg/client/client.go b/pkg/client/client.go
index 69cc53a6..d1ddb438 100644
--- a/pkg/client/client.go
+++ b/pkg/client/client.go
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
 	contextPkg "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/context"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/i18n"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/log"
@@ -41,6 +43,11 @@ func New(serverName string, opts ...Opt) (*client.Client, error) {
 
 	ctx, err := GetContext(serverName)
 	if err != nil {
+		serverDir := path.Join(config.SERVERS_DIR, serverName)
+		if _, err := os.Stat(serverDir); err == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New(i18n.G("server missing context, run \"abra server add %s\"?", serverName))
+		}
+
 		return nil, errors.New(i18n.G("unknown server, run \"abra server add %s\"?", serverName))
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/locales/abra.pot b/pkg/i18n/locales/abra.pot
index e0f11842..7515adfd 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/locales/abra.pot
+++ b/pkg/i18n/locales/abra.pot
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 msgid   ""
 msgstr  "Project-Id-Version: \n"
         "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: EMAIL\n"
-        "POT-Creation-Date: 2025-10-01 11:18+0200\n"
+        "POT-Creation-Date: 2025-10-01 11:49+0200\n"
         "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
         "Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
         "Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
@@ -2323,7 +2323,7 @@ msgstr  ""
 msgid   "create remote directory: %s"
 msgstr  ""
 
-#: ./pkg/client/client.go:95
+#: ./pkg/client/client.go:102
 #, c-format
 msgid   "created client for %s"
 msgstr  ""
@@ -4695,6 +4695,11 @@ msgstr  ""
 msgid   "server doesn't exist?"
 msgstr  ""
 
+#: ./pkg/client/client.go:48
+#, c-format
+msgid   "server missing context, run \"abra server add %s\"?"
+msgstr  ""
+
 #: ./cli/server/add.go:148
 #, c-format
 msgid   "serverAdd: cleanUp: %s is not empty, aborting cleanup"
@@ -4970,12 +4975,12 @@ msgstr  ""
 msgid   "successfully created %s"
 msgstr  ""
 
-#: ./pkg/client/client.go:104
+#: ./pkg/client/client.go:111
 #, c-format
 msgid   "swarm mode not enabled on %s?"
 msgstr  ""
 
-#: ./pkg/client/client.go:107
+#: ./pkg/client/client.go:114
 msgid   "swarm mode not enabled on local server?"
 msgstr  ""
 
@@ -5426,7 +5431,7 @@ msgstr  ""
 msgid   "unknown restart policy: %s"
 msgstr  ""
 
-#: ./pkg/client/client.go:44
+#: ./pkg/client/client.go:51
 #, c-format
 msgid   "unknown server, run \"abra server add %s\"?"
 msgstr  ""
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/locales/es.po b/pkg/i18n/locales/es.po
index 9aa174b0..107a8016 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/locales/es.po
+++ b/pkg/i18n/locales/es.po
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ msgid ""
 msgstr ""
 "Project-Id-Version: \n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: EMAIL\n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2025-10-01 11:18+0200\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2025-10-01 11:49+0200\n"
 "PO-Revision-Date: 2025-09-04 08:14+0000\n"
 "Last-Translator: chasqui <chasqui@cryptolab.net>\n"
 "Language-Team: Spanish <https://translate.coopcloud.tech/projects/co-op-"
@@ -1706,19 +1706,19 @@ msgid ""
 "\n"
 "Available Commands:{{range .Commands}}{{if (or .IsAvailableCommand (eq .Name "
 "\"help\"))}}\n"
-"  {{rpad .Name .NamePadding }} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}"
-"{{if .HasAvailableLocalFlags}}\n"
+"  {{rpad .Name .NamePadding }} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}{{if ."
+"HasAvailableLocalFlags}}\n"
 "\n"
 "Flags:\n"
-"{{.LocalFlags.FlagUsages | trimTrailingWhitespaces}}{{end}}"
-"{{if .HasAvailableInheritedFlags}}\n"
+"{{.LocalFlags.FlagUsages | trimTrailingWhitespaces}}{{end}}{{if ."
+"HasAvailableInheritedFlags}}\n"
 "\n"
 "Global Flags:\n"
-"{{.InheritedFlags.FlagUsages | trimTrailingWhitespaces}}{{end}}"
-"{{if .HasHelpSubCommands}}\n"
+"{{.InheritedFlags.FlagUsages | trimTrailingWhitespaces}}{{end}}{{if ."
+"HasHelpSubCommands}}\n"
 "\n"
-"Additional help topics:{{range .Commands}}"
-"{{if .IsAdditionalHelpTopicCommand}}\n"
+"Additional help topics:{{range .Commands}}{{if ."
+"IsAdditionalHelpTopicCommand}}\n"
 "  {{rpad .CommandPath .CommandPathPadding}} {{.Short}}{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}"
 "{{if .HasAvailableSubCommands}}\n"
 "\n"
@@ -2509,7 +2509,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "create remote directory: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: pkg/client/client.go:95
+#: pkg/client/client.go:102
 #, c-format
 msgid "created client for %s"
 msgstr ""
@@ -4947,6 +4947,11 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "server doesn't exist?"
 msgstr ""
 
+#: pkg/client/client.go:48
+#, c-format
+msgid "server missing context, run \"abra server add %s\"?"
+msgstr ""
+
 #: cli/server/add.go:148
 #, c-format
 msgid "serverAdd: cleanUp: %s is not empty, aborting cleanup"
@@ -4970,8 +4975,8 @@ msgstr ""
 #: cli/recipe/upgrade.go:228
 #, c-format
 msgid ""
-"service %s is at version %s, but pinned to %s, please correct your "
-"compose.yml file manually!"
+"service %s is at version %s, but pinned to %s, please correct your compose."
+"yml file manually!"
 msgstr ""
 
 #: cli/recipe/upgrade.go:224
@@ -5226,12 +5231,12 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "successfully created %s"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: pkg/client/client.go:104
+#: pkg/client/client.go:111
 #, c-format
 msgid "swarm mode not enabled on %s?"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: pkg/client/client.go:107
+#: pkg/client/client.go:114
 msgid "swarm mode not enabled on local server?"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -5692,7 +5697,7 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "unknown restart policy: %s"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: pkg/client/client.go:44
+#: pkg/client/client.go:51
 #, c-format
 msgid "unknown server, run \"abra server add %s\"?"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/tests/integration/app_deploy.bats b/tests/integration/app_deploy.bats
index bb39b716..b582b222 100644
--- a/tests/integration/app_deploy.bats
+++ b/tests/integration/app_deploy.bats
@@ -577,3 +577,18 @@ teardown(){
   assert_success
   refute_output --partial "IMAGES"
 }
+
+# bats test_tags=slow
+@test "manually created server without context bails gracefully" {
+  run mkdir -p "$ABRA_DIR/servers/default2"
+  assert_success
+  assert_exists "$ABRA_DIR/servers/default2"
+
+  run cp "$ABRA_DIR/servers/$TEST_SERVER/$TEST_APP_DOMAIN.env" "$ABRA_DIR/servers/default2/$TEST_APP_DOMAIN_2.env"
+  assert_success
+  assert_exists "$ABRA_DIR/servers/default2/$TEST_APP_DOMAIN_2.env"
+
+  run $ABRA app deploy "$TEST_APP_DOMAIN_2" --no-input --no-converge-checks
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output --partial "server missing context"
+}