diff --git a/resources/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt b/resources/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt
index 138789c29..17e433ff3 100644
--- a/resources/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/resources/3rdparty/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -202,7 +202,15 @@ if(USE_CARL)
     	find_package(carl QUIET)
 	endif()
     if(carl_FOUND AND NOT STORM_FORCE_SHIPPED_CARL)
-		set(STORM_SHIPPED_CARL OFF)
+        get_target_property(carlLOCATION lib_carl LOCATION)
+        if(${carlLOCATION} STREQUAL "carlLOCATION-NOTFOUND")
+            message(SEND_ERROR "Library location for carl is not found, did you build carl?")
+        elseif(EXISTS ${carlLOCATION})
+            #empty on purpose
+        else()
+            message(SEND_ERROR "File ${carlLOCATION} does not exist, did you build carl?")
+        endif()
+        set(STORM_SHIPPED_CARL OFF)
         set(STORM_HAVE_CARL ON)
         message(STATUS "Storm - Use system version of carl.")
         message(STATUS "Storm - Linking with carl ${carl_VERSION} (CARL_USE_CLN_NUMBERS: ${CARL_USE_CLN_NUMBERS}).")