diff --git a/packages/cli-json-cas/src/cli.test.ts b/packages/cli-json-cas/src/cli.test.ts
index 90146d5..e4ce26a 100644
--- a/packages/cli-json-cas/src/cli.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-json-cas/src/cli.test.ts
@@ -597,3 +597,131 @@ describe("Suite 6: CLI Integration with Templates", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe("Store validation - non-existent paths (Issue #55)", () => {
+  test("E2E-55-1: get with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const fakePath = "/nonexistent/path/to/store";
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["get", "AAAAAAAAAAAAA"],
+      fakePath,
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+    expect(stderr).toContain(fakePath);
+    expect(stderr).not.toContain("Node not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-2: has with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const fakePath = `/tmp/nonexistent-store-${Date.now()}`;
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["has", "BBBBBBBBBBBBB"],
+      fakePath,
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-3: verify with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["verify", "CCCCCCCCCCCCC"],
+      "/does/not/exist",
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-4: schema get with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["schema", "get", "@string"],
+      "/fake/path",
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-5: schema list with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["schema", "list"],
+      "/nonexistent/store",
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-6: walk with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["walk", "DDDDDDDDDDDDD"],
+      "/tmp/missing-store",
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-7: cat with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["cat", "EEEEEEEEEEEEE"],
+      "/no/such/dir",
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-8: refs with non-existent store reports store not found", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr } = await runCli(
+      ["refs", "FFFFFFFFFFFFF"],
+      "/nonexistent",
+    );
+
+    expect(exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toContain("Store not found");
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-9: existing store works normally (regression)", async () => {
+    const tmpStore = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "json-cas-test-"));
+    try {
+      await runCli(["init"], tmpStore);
+
+      const payloadFile = join(tmpStore, "test.json");
+      writeFileSync(payloadFile, JSON.stringify("test"));
+
+      const { stdout: hash } = await runCli(
+        ["put", "@string", payloadFile],
+        tmpStore,
+      );
+      const { exitCode, stdout, stderr } = await runCli(
+        ["get", hash.trim()],
+        tmpStore,
+      );
+
+      expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(stderr).toBe("");
+      const node = JSON.parse(stdout);
+      expect(node).toHaveProperty("type");
+      expect(node).toHaveProperty("payload", "test");
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(tmpStore, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("E2E-55-10: init creates directory (should not validate)", async () => {
+    const newStore = join(tmpdir(), `new-store-${Date.now()}`);
+    try {
+      const { exitCode, stdout, stderr } = await runCli(["init"], newStore);
+
+      expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(stderr).toBe("");
+      expect(stdout.trim()).toMatch(/^[0-9A-HJKMNP-TV-Z]{13}$/);
+      const { existsSync } = await import("node:fs");
+      expect(existsSync(newStore)).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(newStore, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli-json-cas/src/index.ts b/packages/cli-json-cas/src/index.ts
index 51bdf4d..e40df7d 100644
--- a/packages/cli-json-cas/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-json-cas/src/index.ts
@@ -111,12 +111,26 @@ function readJsonFile(file: string): unknown {
   }
 }
 
-function openStore(): Store {
-  return createFsStore(resolve(storePath));
+/**
+ * Validate that the store directory exists.
+ * Dies with a clear error message if not found.
+ */
+function validateStoreExists(path: string): void {
+  if (!existsSync(path)) {
+    die(`Store not found at ${path}`);
+  }
+}
+
+function openStore(shouldCreate = false): Store {
+  const fullPath = resolve(storePath);
+  if (!shouldCreate) {
+    validateStoreExists(fullPath);
+  }
+  return createFsStore(fullPath);
 }
 
 function openVarStore(): VariableStore {
-  const store = openStore();
+  const store = openStore(true);
   mkdirSync(resolve(storePath), { recursive: true });
   return createVariableStore(resolve(varDbPath), store);
 }
@@ -126,9 +140,12 @@ function openVarStore(): VariableStore {
  * If the input starts with @, resolve it via bootstrap
  * Otherwise, return the hash as-is
  */
-async function resolveTypeHash(typeHashOrAlias: string): Promise<Hash> {
+async function resolveTypeHash(
+  typeHashOrAlias: string,
+  shouldCreate = false,
+): Promise<Hash> {
   if (typeHashOrAlias.startsWith("@")) {
-    const store = openStore();
+    const store = openStore(shouldCreate);
     const builtinSchemas = await bootstrap(store);
     const resolvedHash = builtinSchemas[typeHashOrAlias];
     if (!resolvedHash) {
@@ -232,7 +249,7 @@ async function cmdInit(): Promise<void> {
 }
 
 async function cmdBootstrap(): Promise<void> {
-  const store = openStore();
+  const store = openStore(true);
   const builtinSchemas = await bootstrap(store);
   const metaHash = builtinSchemas["@schema"];
   console.log(metaHash);
@@ -242,7 +259,7 @@ async function cmdSchemaPut(args: string[]): Promise<void> {
   const file = args[0];
   if (!file) die("Usage: json-cas schema put <file.json>");
   const schema = readJsonFile(file) as JSONSchema;
-  const store = openStore();
+  const store = openStore(true);
   const hash = await putSchema(store, schema);
   console.log(hash);
 }
@@ -291,9 +308,9 @@ async function cmdPut(args: string[]): Promise<void> {
   const file = args[1];
   if (!typeHashOrAlias || !file)
     die("Usage: json-cas put <type-hash> <file.json>");
-  const typeHash = await resolveTypeHash(typeHashOrAlias);
+  const typeHash = await resolveTypeHash(typeHashOrAlias, true);
   const payload = readJsonFile(file);
-  const store = openStore();
+  const store = openStore(true);
   const hash = await store.put(typeHash, payload);
   console.log(hash);
 }
@@ -380,7 +397,7 @@ async function cmdHash(args: string[]): Promise<void> {
   const file = args[1];
   if (!typeHashOrAlias || !file)
     die("Usage: json-cas hash <type-hash> <file.json>");
-  const typeHash = await resolveTypeHash(typeHashOrAlias);
+  const typeHash = await resolveTypeHash(typeHashOrAlias, true);
   const payload = readJsonFile(file);
   const hash = await computeHash(typeHash, payload);
   console.log(hash);