diff --git a/.changeset/spicy-turkeys-hug.md b/.changeset/spicy-turkeys-hug.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b25e391ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/spicy-turkeys-hug.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"trigger.dev": minor
+---
+
+feat: exit if docker buildx can't be found for self-hosted builds
diff --git a/packages/cli-v3/package.json b/packages/cli-v3/package.json
index a5367acc63..8eb7833b00 100644
--- a/packages/cli-v3/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli-v3/package.json
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
     "std-env": "^3.7.0",
     "terminal-link": "^3.0.0",
     "tiny-invariant": "^1.2.0",
-    "tinyexec": "^0.2.0",
+    "tinyexec": "^0.3.1",
     "ws": "^8.18.0",
     "xdg-app-paths": "^8.3.0",
     "zod": "3.22.3",
diff --git a/packages/cli-v3/src/commands/deploy.ts b/packages/cli-v3/src/commands/deploy.ts
index 7552b52e3a..eb6f6aef11 100644
--- a/packages/cli-v3/src/commands/deploy.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-v3/src/commands/deploy.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { spinner } from "../utilities/windows.js";
 import { login } from "./login.js";
 import { updateTriggerPackages } from "./update.js";
 import { resolveAlwaysExternal } from "../build/externals.js";
+import { x } from "tinyexec";
 
 const DeployCommandOptions = CommonCommandOptions.extend({
   dryRun: z.boolean().default(false),
@@ -265,6 +266,17 @@ async function _deployCommand(dir: string, options: DeployCommandOptions) {
     );
   }
 
+  if (options.selfHosted) {
+    const result = await x("docker", ["buildx", "version"]);
+
+    if (result.exitCode !== 0) {
+      logger.debug(`"docker buildx version" failed (${result.exitCode}):`, result);
+      throw new Error(
+        "Failed to find docker buildx. Please install it: https://github.com/docker/buildx#installing."
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   if (
     buildManifest.deploy.sync &&
     buildManifest.deploy.sync.env &&
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index fb70f22a20..dc471f94cf 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -1184,8 +1184,8 @@ importers:
         specifier: ^1.2.0
         version: 1.3.1
       tinyexec:
-        specifier: ^0.2.0
-        version: 0.2.0
+        specifier: ^0.3.1
+        version: 0.3.1
       ws:
         specifier: ^8.18.0
         version: 8.18.0
@@ -28547,13 +28547,13 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-XPaBkWQJdsf3pLKJV9p4qN/S+fm2Oj8AIPo1BTUhg5oxkvm9+SVEGFdhyOz7tTdUTfvxMiAs4sp6/eZO2Ew+pw==}
     dev: false
 
-  /tinyexec@0.2.0:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-au8dwv4xKSDR+Fw52csDo3wcDztPdne2oM1o/7LFro4h6bdFmvyUAeAfX40pwDtzHgRFqz1XWaUqgKS2G83/ig==}
-    dev: false
-
   /tinyexec@0.3.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-tVGE0mVJPGb0chKhqmsoosjsS+qUnJVGJpZgsHYQcGoPlG3B51R3PouqTgEGH2Dc9jjFyOqOpix6ZHNMXp1FZg==}
 
+  /tinyexec@0.3.1:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-WiCJLEECkO18gwqIp6+hJg0//p23HXp4S+gGtAKu3mI2F2/sXC4FvHvXvB0zJVVaTPhx1/tOwdbRsa1sOBIKqQ==}
+    dev: false
+
   /tinyglobby@0.2.2:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-mZ2sDMaySvi1PkTp4lTo1In2zjU+cY8OvZsfwrDrx3YGRbXPX1/cbPwCR9zkm3O/Fz9Jo0F1HNgIQ1b8BepqyQ==}
     engines: {node: '>=12.0.0'}