diff --git a/ci/spellcheck.sh b/ci/spellcheck.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index fd3aa04e..980e635e
--- a/ci/spellcheck.sh
+++ b/ci/spellcheck.sh
@@ -53,6 +53,13 @@ if [[ "$1" == "list" ]]; then
     mode="list"
 fi
 
+# Error if running in list (CI) mode and there isn't a dictionary file;
+# creating one in CI won't do any good :(
+if [[ "$mode" == "list" && ! -f "$dict_filename" ]]; then
+    echo "No dictionary file found! A dictionary file is required in CI!"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 if [[ ! -f "$dict_filename" ]]; then
     # Pre-check mode: generates dictionary of words aspell consider typos.
     # After user validates that this file contains only valid words, we can