diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder.go
index cf28696db10..5a526d505cf 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder.go
@@ -820,7 +820,14 @@ func (b *Builder) visitorResult() *Result {
 	}
 
 	if len(b.resources) != 0 {
-		return &Result{err: fmt.Errorf("resource(s) were provided, but no name, label selector, or --all flag specified")}
+		for _, r := range b.resources {
+			_, err := b.mappingFor(r)
+			if err != nil {
+				return &Result{err: err}
+			} else {
+				return &Result{err: fmt.Errorf("resource(s) were provided, but no name, label selector, or --all flag specified")}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	return &Result{err: missingResourceError}
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder_test.go
index 426dcb20a3a..5f5fe433ae1 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource/builder_test.go
@@ -1228,7 +1228,18 @@ func TestFieldSelectorRequiresKnownTypes(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected non-error")
 	}
 }
+func TestNoSelectorUnknowResourceType(t *testing.T) {
+	b := newDefaultBuilder().
+		NamespaceParam("test").
+		ResourceTypeOrNameArgs(false, "unknown")
 
+	err := b.Do().Err()
+	if err != nil {
+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "server doesn't have a resource type \"unknown\"") {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
 func TestSingleResourceType(t *testing.T) {
 	b := newDefaultBuilder().
 		LabelSelectorParam("a=b").