diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index fee00dee0b551..8ff5b5d706435 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -807,6 +807,10 @@ if (onnxruntime_DISABLE_OPTIONAL_TYPE)
   add_compile_definitions(DISABLE_OPTIONAL_TYPE)
 endif()
 
+if (onnxruntime_USE_CUDA AND "${onnxruntime_CUDNN_HOME}" STREQUAL "")
+  message(FATAL_ERROR "onnxruntime_CUDNN_HOME required for onnxruntime_USE_CUDA")
+endif()
+
 get_filename_component(ONNXRUNTIME_ROOT "${ONNXRUNTIME_ROOT}" ABSOLUTE)
 get_filename_component(ORTTRAINING_ROOT "${ORTTRAINING_ROOT}" ABSOLUTE)
 get_filename_component(REPO_ROOT "${REPO_ROOT}" ABSOLUTE)