diff --git a/src/bin/julialauncher.rs b/src/bin/julialauncher.rs
index a057ec53..d5400bc3 100644
--- a/src/bin/julialauncher.rs
+++ b/src/bin/julialauncher.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use itertools::Itertools;
 use juliaup::config_file::{load_config_db, JuliaupConfig, JuliaupConfigChannel};
 use juliaup::global_paths::get_paths;
 use juliaup::jsonstructs_versionsdb::JuliaupVersionDB;
-use juliaup::operations::is_valid_channel;
+use juliaup::operations::{is_pr_channel, is_valid_channel};
 use juliaup::versions_file::load_versions_db;
 #[cfg(not(windows))]
 use nix::{
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ fn get_julia_path_from_channel(
                 JuliaupChannelSource::CmdLine => {
                     if channel_valid {
                         UserError { msg: format!("`{}` is not installed. Please run `juliaup add {}` to install channel or version.", channel, channel) }
+                    } else if is_pr_channel(&channel.to_string()) {
+                        UserError { msg: format!("`{}` is not installed. Please run `juliaup add {}` to install pull request channel if available.", channel, channel) }
                     } else {
                         UserError { msg: format!("ERROR: Invalid Juliaup channel `{}`. Please run `juliaup list` to get a list of valid channels and versions.",  channel) }
                     }
@@ -182,6 +184,8 @@ fn get_julia_path_from_channel(
                 JuliaupChannelSource::EnvVar=> {
                     if channel_valid {
                         UserError { msg: format!("`{}` from environment variable JULIAUP_CHANNEL is not installed. Please run `juliaup add {}` to install channel or version.", channel, channel) }
+                    } else if is_pr_channel(&channel.to_string()) {
+                        UserError { msg: format!("`{}` from environment variable JULIAUP_CHANNEL is not installed. Please run `juliaup add {}` to install pull request channel if available.", channel, channel) }
                     } else {
                         UserError { msg: format!("ERROR: Invalid Juliaup channel `{}` from environment variable JULIAUP_CHANNEL. Please run `juliaup list` to get a list of valid channels and versions.",  channel) }
                     }
@@ -189,6 +193,8 @@ fn get_julia_path_from_channel(
                 JuliaupChannelSource::Override=> {
                     if channel_valid {
                         UserError { msg: format!("`{}` from directory override is not installed. Please run `juliaup add {}` to install channel or version.", channel, channel) }
+                    } else if is_pr_channel(&channel.to_string()){
+                        UserError { msg: format!("`{}` from directory override is not installed. Please run `juliaup add {}` to install pull request channel if available.", channel, channel) }
                     } else {
                         UserError { msg: format!("ERROR: Invalid Juliaup channel `{}` from directory override. Please run `juliaup list` to get a list of valid channels and versions.",  channel) }
                     }
diff --git a/tests/channel_selection.rs b/tests/channel_selection.rs
index 3ea5bac3..02909a58 100644
--- a/tests/channel_selection.rs
+++ b/tests/channel_selection.rs
@@ -151,4 +151,17 @@ fn channel_selection() {
         .assert()
         .failure()
         .stderr("`nightly` is not installed. Please run `juliaup add nightly` to install channel or version.\n");
+
+    // https://github.com/JuliaLang/juliaup/issues/995
+    Command::cargo_bin("julia")
+        .unwrap()
+        .arg("+pr1")
+        .arg("-e")
+        .arg("print(VERSION)")
+        .env("JULIA_DEPOT_PATH", depot_dir.path())
+        .env("JULIAUP_DEPOT_PATH", depot_dir.path())
+        .env("JULIAUP_CHANNEL", "1.7.4")
+        .assert()
+        .failure()
+        .stderr("`pr1` is not installed. Please run `juliaup add pr1` to install pull request channel if available.\n");
 }