diff --git a/cmd/osv-scanner/__snapshots__/main_test.snap b/cmd/osv-scanner/__snapshots__/main_test.snap
index 9991b044ce..eac9877f42 100755
--- a/cmd/osv-scanner/__snapshots__/main_test.snap
+++ b/cmd/osv-scanner/__snapshots__/main_test.snap
@@ -2091,6 +2091,48 @@ databases can only be downloaded when running in offline mode
 
 ---
 
+[TestRun_LocalDatabases_AlwaysOffline/#00 - 1]
+Scanning dir ./fixtures/locks-requirements
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/my-requirements.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/requirements-dev.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/requirements.prod.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/requirements.txt file and found 3 packages
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/the_requirements_for_test.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanning dir ./fixtures/locks-many
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/Gemfile.lock file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/alpine.cdx.xml as CycloneDX SBOM and found 14 packages
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/composer.lock file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/package-lock.json file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/yarn.lock file and found 1 package
+
+---
+
+[TestRun_LocalDatabases_AlwaysOffline/#00 - 2]
+could not find local databases for ecosystems: Alpine, Packagist, PyPI, RubyGems, npm
+
+---
+
+[TestRun_LocalDatabases_AlwaysOffline/#00 - 3]
+Scanning dir ./fixtures/locks-requirements
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/my-requirements.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/requirements-dev.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/requirements.prod.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/requirements.txt file and found 3 packages
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-requirements/the_requirements_for_test.txt file and found 1 package
+Scanning dir ./fixtures/locks-many
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/Gemfile.lock file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/alpine.cdx.xml as CycloneDX SBOM and found 14 packages
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/composer.lock file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/package-lock.json file and found 1 package
+Scanned <rootdir>/fixtures/locks-many/yarn.lock file and found 1 package
+
+---
+
+[TestRun_LocalDatabases_AlwaysOffline/#00 - 4]
+could not find local databases for ecosystems: Alpine, Packagist, PyPI, RubyGems, npm
+
+---
+
 [TestRun_LockfileWithExplicitParseAs/#00 - 1]
 
 ---
diff --git a/cmd/osv-scanner/main_test.go b/cmd/osv-scanner/main_test.go
index 2dd2290dbf..5a4e579854 100644
--- a/cmd/osv-scanner/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/osv-scanner/main_test.go
@@ -641,6 +641,35 @@ func TestRun_LocalDatabases(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRun_LocalDatabases_AlwaysOffline(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []cliTestCase{
+		// a bunch of different lockfiles and ecosystem
+		{
+			name: "",
+			args: []string{"", "--config=./fixtures/osv-scanner-empty-config.toml", "--experimental-offline", "./fixtures/locks-requirements", "./fixtures/locks-many"},
+			exit: 127,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			testDir := testutility.CreateTestDir(t)
+			old := tt.args
+			tt.args = []string{"", "--experimental-local-db-path", testDir}
+			tt.args = append(tt.args, old[1:]...)
+
+			// run each test twice since they should provide the same output,
+			// and the second run should be fast as the db is already available
+			testCli(t, tt)
+			testCli(t, tt)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRun_Licenses(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tests := []cliTestCase{
diff --git a/internal/local/check.go b/internal/local/check.go
index c1fd9d996d..b8c2b4e95c 100644
--- a/internal/local/check.go
+++ b/internal/local/check.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"slices"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/osv-scanner/pkg/lockfile"
 	"github.com/google/osv-scanner/pkg/models"
@@ -116,6 +118,9 @@ func MakeRequest(r reporter.Reporter, query osv.BatchedQuery, offline bool, loca
 		return db, nil
 	}
 
+	// slice to track ecosystems that did not have an offline database available
+	var missingDbs []string
+
 	for _, query := range query.Queries {
 		pkg, err := toPackageDetails(query)
 
@@ -143,8 +148,13 @@ func MakeRequest(r reporter.Reporter, query osv.BatchedQuery, offline bool, loca
 		db, err := loadDBFromCache(pkg.Ecosystem)
 
 		if err != nil {
-			// currently, this will actually only error if the PURL cannot be parses
-			r.Errorf("could not load db for %s ecosystem: %v\n", pkg.Ecosystem, err)
+			if errors.Is(err, ErrOfflineDatabaseNotFound) {
+				missingDbs = append(missingDbs, string(pkg.Ecosystem))
+			} else {
+				// the most likely error at this point is that the PURL could not be parsed
+				r.Errorf("could not load db for %s ecosystem: %v\n", pkg.Ecosystem, err)
+			}
+
 			results = append(results, osv.Response{Vulns: []models.Vulnerability{}})
 
 			continue
@@ -153,5 +163,12 @@ func MakeRequest(r reporter.Reporter, query osv.BatchedQuery, offline bool, loca
 		results = append(results, osv.Response{Vulns: db.VulnerabilitiesAffectingPackage(pkg)})
 	}
 
+	if len(missingDbs) > 0 {
+		missingDbs = slices.Compact(missingDbs)
+		slices.Sort(missingDbs)
+
+		r.Errorf("could not find local databases for ecosystems: %s\n", strings.Join(missingDbs, ", "))
+	}
+
 	return &osv.HydratedBatchedResponse{Results: results}, nil
 }