diff --git a/lib/utils/template_generator.js b/lib/utils/template_generator.js
index 1598a2d2e..60db9ae12 100644
--- a/lib/utils/template_generator.js
+++ b/lib/utils/template_generator.js
@@ -18,7 +18,14 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
     const fspath = utils.joinPath(destinationFolder, name);
     this.checkPathExists(fspath);
     const self = this;
-    let {url, filePath, browse} = this.getExternalProject(uri);
+    let ext;
+    try {
+      ext = this.getExternalProject(uri);
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error(utils.errorMessage(e).red);
+      process.exit(1);
+    }
+    let {url, filePath, browse} = ext;
     let tmpFilePath = fs.tmpDir(filePath);
     console.log(__('Installing template from ' + browse).green);
     console.log(__('Downloading template...').green);
@@ -91,20 +98,15 @@ class TemplateGenerator {
 
   getExternalProject(uri) {
     let url, folder, hgi;
-    try {
-      hgi = hostedGitInfo.fromUrl(uri);
-      if (!hgi || hgi.user.includes('#')) {
-        let templateAndBranch = uri.split('#');
-        templateAndBranch[0] = `embark-framework/embark-${templateAndBranch[0]}-template`;
-        hgi = hostedGitInfo.fromUrl(templateAndBranch.join('#'));
-      }
-      if(!hgi) { throw new Error(); }
-      url = hgi.tarball();
-      folder = `${hgi.user}/${hgi.project}/${hgi.committish || 'master'}`;
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error('Unsupported template name or git host URL'.red);
-      process.exit(1);
+    hgi = hostedGitInfo.fromUrl(uri);
+    if (!hgi || hgi.user.includes('#')) {
+      let templateAndBranch = uri.split('#');
+      templateAndBranch[0] = `embark-framework/embark-${templateAndBranch[0]}-template`;
+      hgi = hostedGitInfo.fromUrl(templateAndBranch.join('#'));
     }
+    if(!hgi) { throw new Error('Unsupported template name or git host URL'); }
+    url = hgi.tarball();
+    folder = `${hgi.user}/${hgi.project}/${hgi.committish || 'master'}`;
 
     return {
       url,
diff --git a/test/template.js b/test/template.js
index a38c69d0d..aee28cc64 100644
--- a/test/template.js
+++ b/test/template.js
@@ -112,5 +112,15 @@ describe('TemplateGenerator', function () {
 
     });
 
+    describe('with unsupported template specifier', function () {
+
+      it('raises an exception', function () {
+        assert.throws(() => templateGenerator.getExternalProject("bad://format"), /Unsupported/);
+        assert.throws(() => templateGenerator.getExternalProject("bad://format#/also/bad"), /Unsupported/);
+        assert.throws(() => templateGenerator.getExternalProject(/force an error/), Error);
+      });
+
+    });
+
   });
 });