diff --git a/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/run_crew.py b/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/run_crew.py
index cbc14ff86..05d6878f5 100644
--- a/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/run_crew.py
+++ b/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/run_crew.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import sys
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 import click
-from crewai.project.json_loader import find_crew_json_file
 from crewai_core.constants import CREWAI_TRAINED_AGENTS_FILE_ENV
 from packaging import version
 
@@ -38,6 +37,15 @@ class CrewType(Enum):
 _INPUT_PLACEHOLDER_RE = re.compile(r"(?<!{){([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_\-]*)}(?!})")
 _CREWAI_CLI_RUNNER_PACKAGE_DIR_ENV = "CREWAI_CLI_RUNNER_PACKAGE_DIR"
 _CREWAI_RUNNER_SOURCE_DIR_ENV = "CREWAI_RUNNER_SOURCE_DIR"
+_FULL_CREWAI_INSTALL_MESSAGE = """\
+CrewAI CLI is installed without the `crewai` package required to run crews.
+
+Install the full CrewAI prerelease package:
+
+  uv tool install --force --prerelease=allow 'crewai[tools]==1.14.8a'
+
+The quotes are required in zsh so `crewai[tools]` is not treated as a glob.
+"""
 _JSON_CREW_RUNNER_CODE = """
 import importlib.util
 import os
@@ -72,12 +80,39 @@ module_spec.loader.exec_module(module)
 
 from crewai_core.constants import CREWAI_TRAINED_AGENTS_FILE_ENV
 
-module._run_json_crew(
-    trained_agents_file=os.getenv(CREWAI_TRAINED_AGENTS_FILE_ENV)
-)
+try:
+    module._run_json_crew(
+        trained_agents_file=os.getenv(CREWAI_TRAINED_AGENTS_FILE_ENV)
+    )
+except module.click.ClickException as exc:
+    exc.show()
+    raise SystemExit(exc.exit_code)
 """.strip()
 
 
+def _import_find_crew_json_file() -> Any:
+    from crewai.project.json_loader import find_crew_json_file as _find_crew_json_file
+
+    return _find_crew_json_file
+
+
+def _is_missing_crewai_package(exc: ModuleNotFoundError) -> bool:
+    return bool(exc.name and exc.name.startswith("crewai"))
+
+
+def _full_crewai_install_error() -> click.ClickException:
+    return click.ClickException(_FULL_CREWAI_INSTALL_MESSAGE)
+
+
+def find_crew_json_file() -> Path | None:
+    try:
+        return _import_find_crew_json_file()()
+    except ModuleNotFoundError as exc:
+        if _is_missing_crewai_package(exc):
+            raise _full_crewai_install_error() from exc
+        raise
+
+
 def _has_json_crew() -> bool:
     """Check if this is a JSON-defined crew project.
 
diff --git a/lib/cli/tests/test_run_crew.py b/lib/cli/tests/test_run_crew.py
index 88d31fa1e..d56118187 100644
--- a/lib/cli/tests/test_run_crew.py
+++ b/lib/cli/tests/test_run_crew.py
@@ -5,12 +5,33 @@ from pathlib import Path
 import subprocess
 import sys
 
+import click
 import pytest
 from crewai_core.constants import CREWAI_TRAINED_AGENTS_FILE_ENV
 
 import crewai_cli.run_crew as run_crew_module
 
 
+def test_missing_crewai_package_shows_full_install_hint(monkeypatch):
+    def missing_crewai_package():
+        raise ModuleNotFoundError("No module named 'crewai'", name="crewai")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        run_crew_module, "_import_find_crew_json_file", missing_crewai_package
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(click.ClickException) as exc_info:
+        run_crew_module.find_crew_json_file()
+
+    message = exc_info.value.message
+    assert "CrewAI CLI is installed without the `crewai` package" in message
+    assert (
+        "uv tool install --force --prerelease=allow 'crewai[tools]==1.14.8a'"
+        in message
+    )
+    assert "quotes are required in zsh" in message
+
+
 def test_run_crew_forwards_trained_agents_file_to_json_crews(monkeypatch):
     """crewai run -f must reach JSON crews, not only classic subprocess crews."""
     monkeypatch.setattr(run_crew_module, "_has_json_crew", lambda: True)