diff --git a/src/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.ts b/src/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.ts
index bc9d0f1a4..db8cff139 100644
--- a/src/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.ts
+++ b/src/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,24 @@ export default class SfpPackageInquirer {
         let remoteURL: gitUrlParse.GitUrl;
 
         for (let sfpPackage of this.sfpPackages) {
-            let currentRemoteURL = gitUrlParse(sfpPackage.repository_url);
+            let currentRemoteURL: gitUrlParse.GitUrl;
+
+            const packageRemoteURL: string | undefined = sfpPackage.repository_url;
+            if (typeof packageRemoteURL === 'undefined') {
+                throw new Error(`Package '${sfpPackage.package_name}' does not have a repository URL`);
+            }
+
+            try {
+                currentRemoteURL = gitUrlParse(packageRemoteURL);
+            } catch (ex) {
+                if (ex instanceof Error && ex.message === 'URL parsing failed.') {
+                    throw new Error(
+                        `Invalid repository URL for package '${sfpPackage.package_name}': ${packageRemoteURL}`
+                    );
+                } else {
+                    throw ex;
+                }
+            }
 
             if (remoteURL == null) {
                 remoteURL = currentRemoteURL;
diff --git a/tests/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.test.ts b/tests/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a715aaa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { expect } from '@jest/globals';
+import SfpPackage from '../../../lib/core/package/SfpPackage';
+import SfpPackageInquirer from '../../../src/core/package/SfpPackageInquirer';
+
+describe('validateArtifactsSourceRepository', () => {
+    describe('Given a bad repository URL, display', () => {
+        it('should accept a good repository SSH URL', async () => {
+            const repositoryUrl = 'git@github.com:flxbl-io/sfp-test.git';
+
+            let sfpPackage: SfpPackage = new SfpPackage();
+            sfpPackage.package_name = 'testPackageName';
+            sfpPackage.repository_url = repositoryUrl;
+
+            let sfpPackageInquirer = new SfpPackageInquirer([sfpPackage]);
+            sfpPackageInquirer.validateArtifactsSourceRepository();
+        });
+
+        // TODO: re-enable once https://github.com/flxbl-io/sfp/issues/137 is fixed
+        it.skip.failing('should accept a good repository SSH URL with a URL-encoded space', async () => {
+            const repositoryUrl = 'git@github.com:flxbl-io/sfp%20test.git';
+
+            let sfpPackage: SfpPackage = new SfpPackage();
+            sfpPackage.package_name = 'testPackageName';
+            sfpPackage.repository_url = repositoryUrl;
+
+            let sfpPackageInquirer = new SfpPackageInquirer([sfpPackage]);
+            sfpPackageInquirer.validateArtifactsSourceRepository();
+        });
+
+        it('should reject a bad repository SSH URL with a helpful error message', async () => {
+            const repositoryUrl = 'git';
+
+            const t = () => {
+                let sfpPackage: SfpPackage = new SfpPackage();
+                sfpPackage.package_name = 'testPackageName';
+                sfpPackage.repository_url = repositoryUrl;
+
+                let sfpPackageInquirer = new SfpPackageInquirer([sfpPackage]);
+                sfpPackageInquirer.validateArtifactsSourceRepository();
+            };
+
+            expect(t).toThrow(Error);
+            expect(t).toThrow("Invalid repository URL for package 'testPackageName': git");
+        });
+    });
+});