diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index cbdc7642..84bca23c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -179,6 +179,10 @@ function checkRootPathForErrors (rootPath) {
   try {
     pathStat = statSync(rootPath)
   } catch (e) {
+    if (e.code === 'ENOENT') {
+      return new Error(`"root" path "${rootPath}" must exist`)
+    }
+
     return e
   }
 
diff --git a/test/static.test.js b/test/static.test.js
index 4ebd9074..63ecabf1 100644
--- a/test/static.test.js
+++ b/test/static.test.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const path = require('path')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const url = require('url')
 const http = require('http')
-
 const t = require('tap')
 const simple = require('simple-get')
 const Fastify = require('fastify')
@@ -593,6 +592,17 @@ t.test('prefix default', t => {
   t.doesNotThrow(() => fastify.register(fastifyStatic, pluginOptions))
 })
 
+t.test('root not found error', t => {
+  t.plan(1)
+  const rootPath = path.join(__dirname, 'does-not-exist')
+  const pluginOptions = { root: rootPath }
+  const fastify = Fastify({ logger: false })
+  fastify.register(fastifyStatic, pluginOptions)
+  fastify.listen(0, err => {
+    t.equal(err.message, `"root" path "${rootPath}" must exist`)
+  })
+})
+
 t.test('send options', t => {
   t.plan(11)
   const pluginOptions = {