diff --git a/waspc/cli/exe/Main.hs b/waspc/cli/exe/Main.hs
index 3444eab1d..f4a4e1d00 100644
--- a/waspc/cli/exe/Main.hs
+++ b/waspc/cli/exe/Main.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import Data.Char (isSpace)
 import Data.List (intercalate)
 import Main.Utf8 (withUtf8)
 import System.Environment (getArgs)
+import System.Exit (exitFailure)
 import Wasp.Cli.Command (runCommand)
 import Wasp.Cli.Command.BashCompletion (bashCompletion, generateBashCompletionScript, printBashCompletionInstruction)
 import Wasp.Cli.Command.Build (build)
@@ -30,7 +31,10 @@ import qualified Wasp.Cli.Command.Telemetry as Telemetry
 import Wasp.Cli.Command.Test (test)
 import Wasp.Cli.Command.Uninstall (uninstall)
 import Wasp.Cli.Command.WaspLS (runWaspLS)
+import Wasp.Cli.Message (cliSendMessage)
 import Wasp.Cli.Terminal (title)
+import qualified Wasp.Generator.Node.Version as NodeVersion
+import qualified Wasp.Message as Message
 import Wasp.Util (indent)
 import qualified Wasp.Util.Terminal as Term
 import Wasp.Version (waspVersion)
@@ -62,6 +66,16 @@ main = withUtf8 . (`E.catch` handleInternalErrors) $ do
 
   telemetryThread <- Async.async $ runCommand $ Telemetry.considerSendingData commandCall
 
+  -- Before calling any command, check that the node requirement is met. Node is
+  -- not needed for every command, but checking for every command was decided
+  -- to be more robust than trying to only check for commands that require it.
+  -- See https://github.com/wasp-lang/wasp/issues/1134#issuecomment-1554065668
+  NodeVersion.getAndCheckNodeVersion >>= \case
+    Left errorMsg -> do
+      cliSendMessage $ Message.Failure "Node requirement not met" errorMsg
+      exitFailure
+    Right _ -> pure ()
+
   case commandCall of
     Command.Call.New newArgs -> runCommand $ createNewProject newArgs
     Command.Call.Start -> runCommand start
@@ -95,11 +109,11 @@ main = withUtf8 . (`E.catch` handleInternalErrors) $ do
     handleInternalErrors :: E.ErrorCall -> IO ()
     handleInternalErrors e = putStrLn $ "\nInternal Wasp error (bug in compiler):\n" ++ indent 2 (show e)
 
+{- ORMOLU_DISABLE -}
 printUsage :: IO ()
 printUsage =
   putStrLn $
     unlines
-{- ORMOLU_DISABLE -}
       [ title "USAGE",
               "  wasp <command> [command-args]",
               "",
@@ -165,11 +179,11 @@ dbCli args = case args of
   ["studio"] -> runDbCommand Command.Db.Studio.studio
   _ -> printDbUsage
 
+{- ORMOLU_DISABLE -}
 printDbUsage :: IO ()
 printDbUsage =
   putStrLn $
     unlines
-{- ORMOLU_DISABLE -}
       [ title "USAGE",
               "  wasp db <command> [command-args]",
               "",
diff --git a/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Job/Process.hs b/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Job/Process.hs
index 41938a286..f80ab1ca4 100644
--- a/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Job/Process.hs
+++ b/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Job/Process.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import qualified System.Process as P
 import UnliftIO.Exception (bracket)
 import qualified Wasp.Generator.Job as J
 import qualified Wasp.Generator.Node.Version as NodeVersion
-import qualified Wasp.SemanticVersion as SV
 
 -- TODO:
 --   Switch from Data.Conduit.Process to Data.Conduit.Process.Typed.
@@ -97,15 +96,12 @@ runNodeCommandAsJob = runNodeCommandAsJobWithExtraEnv []
 
 runNodeCommandAsJobWithExtraEnv :: [(String, String)] -> Path' Abs (Dir a) -> String -> [String] -> J.JobType -> J.Job
 runNodeCommandAsJobWithExtraEnv extraEnvVars fromDir command args jobType chan =
-  NodeVersion.getNodeVersion >>= \case
+  NodeVersion.getAndCheckNodeVersion >>= \case
     Left errorMsg -> exitWithError (ExitFailure 1) (T.pack errorMsg)
-    Right nodeVersion ->
-      if SV.isVersionInRange nodeVersion NodeVersion.nodeVersionRange
-        then do
-          envVars <- getAllEnvVars
-          let nodeCommandProcess = (P.proc command args) {P.env = Just envVars, P.cwd = Just $ SP.fromAbsDir fromDir}
-          runProcessAsJob nodeCommandProcess jobType chan
-        else exitWithError (ExitFailure 1) (T.pack $ NodeVersion.makeNodeVersionMismatchMessage nodeVersion)
+    Right _ -> do
+      envVars <- getAllEnvVars
+      let nodeCommandProcess = (P.proc command args) {P.env = Just envVars, P.cwd = Just $ SP.fromAbsDir fromDir}
+      runProcessAsJob nodeCommandProcess jobType chan
   where
     -- Haskell will use the first value for variable name it finds. Since env
     -- vars in 'extraEnvVars' should override the the inherited env vars, we
diff --git a/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Node/Version.hs b/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Node/Version.hs
index 5e1c62684..77c53631a 100644
--- a/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Node/Version.hs
+++ b/waspc/src/Wasp/Generator/Node/Version.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 module Wasp.Generator.Node.Version
-  ( getNodeVersion,
+  ( getAndCheckNodeVersion,
+    getNodeVersion,
     nodeVersionRange,
     latestMajorNodeVersion,
     waspNodeRequirementMessage,
@@ -13,25 +14,56 @@ import qualified System.Process as P
 import Text.Read (readMaybe)
 import qualified Text.Regex.TDFA as R
 import qualified Wasp.SemanticVersion as SV
+import Wasp.Util (indent)
 
+-- | Gets the installed node version, if any is installed, and checks that it
+-- meets Wasp's version requirement.
+--
+-- Returns a string representing the error
+-- condition if node's version could not be found or if the version does not
+-- meet the requirements.
+getAndCheckNodeVersion :: IO (Either String SV.Version)
+getAndCheckNodeVersion =
+  getNodeVersion >>= \case
+    Left errorMsg -> return $ Left errorMsg
+    Right nodeVersion ->
+      if SV.isVersionInRange nodeVersion nodeVersionRange
+        then return $ Right nodeVersion
+        else return $ Left $ makeNodeVersionMismatchMessage nodeVersion
+
+-- | Gets the installed node version, if any is installed, and returns it.
+--
+-- Returns a string representing the error condition if node's version could
+-- not be found.
 getNodeVersion :: IO (Either String SV.Version)
 getNodeVersion = do
-  (exitCode, stdout, stderr) <-
-    P.readProcessWithExitCode "node" ["--version"] ""
+  -- Node result is one of:
+  -- 1. @Left processError@, when an error occurs trying to run the process
+  -- 2. @Right (ExitCode, stdout, stderr)@, when the node process runs and terminates
+  nodeResult <-
+    (Right <$> P.readProcessWithExitCode "node" ["--version"] "")
       `catchIOError` ( \e ->
                          if isDoesNotExistError e
-                           then return (ExitFailure 1, "", "Command 'node' not found.")
-                           else ioError e
+                           then return $ Left nodeNotFoundMessage
+                           else return $ Left $ makeNodeUnknownErrorMessage e
                      )
-  return $ case exitCode of
-    ExitFailure _ ->
+  return $ case nodeResult of
+    Left procErr ->
       Left
-        ( "Running 'node --version' failed: "
-            ++ stderr
-            ++ " "
-            ++ waspNodeRequirementMessage
+        ( unlines
+            [ procErr,
+              waspNodeRequirementMessage
+            ]
         )
-    ExitSuccess -> case parseNodeVersion stdout of
+    Right (ExitFailure code, _, stderr) ->
+      Left
+        ( unlines
+            [ "Running `node --version` failed (exit code " ++ show code ++ "):",
+              indent 2 stderr,
+              waspNodeRequirementMessage
+            ]
+        )
+    Right (ExitSuccess, stdout, _) -> case parseNodeVersion stdout of
       Nothing ->
         Left
           ( "Wasp failed to parse node version."
@@ -49,11 +81,21 @@ parseNodeVersion nodeVersionStr =
       return $ SV.Version mjr mnr ptc
     _ -> Nothing
 
+nodeNotFoundMessage :: String
+nodeNotFoundMessage = "`node` command not found!"
+
+makeNodeUnknownErrorMessage :: IOError -> String
+makeNodeUnknownErrorMessage err =
+  unlines
+    [ "An unknown error occured while trying to run `node --version`:",
+      indent 2 $ show err
+    ]
+
 waspNodeRequirementMessage :: String
 waspNodeRequirementMessage =
   unwords
-    [ "Wasp requires node " ++ show nodeVersionRange ++ ".",
-      "Check Wasp docs for more details: https://wasp-lang.dev/docs/quick-start#requirements."
+    [ "Wasp requires Node " ++ show nodeVersionRange ++ " to be installed and in PATH.",
+      "Check Wasp documentation for more details: https://wasp-lang.dev/docs/quick-start#requirements."
     ]
 
 nodeVersionRange :: SV.Range
@@ -72,8 +114,10 @@ latestMajorNodeVersion = latestNodeLTSVersion
 
 makeNodeVersionMismatchMessage :: SV.Version -> String
 makeNodeVersionMismatchMessage nodeVersion =
-  unwords
-    [ "Your node version does not match Wasp's requirements.",
-      "You are running node " ++ show nodeVersion ++ ".",
+  unlines
+    [ unwords
+        [ "Your Node version does not meet Wasp's requirements!",
+          "You are running Node " ++ show nodeVersion ++ "."
+        ],
       waspNodeRequirementMessage
     ]
diff --git a/waspc/waspc.cabal b/waspc/waspc.cabal
index 3e8d8b828..e686d2402 100644
--- a/waspc/waspc.cabal
+++ b/waspc/waspc.cabal
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ library
     , exceptions            ^>= 0.10.4
     , split                 ^>= 0.2.3
     , conduit-extra         ^>= 1.3.5
-    , process               ^>= 1.6.13
+    , process               ^>= 1.6.17
     , cryptohash-sha256     ^>= 0.11.102
     , mustache              ^>= 2.3.2
     , parsec                ^>= 3.1.14