diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 798c18cb..6899bb0d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ test('should do global instance mocks —third parameter', async t => {
 
 ### changelog
 
+ * 0.3.7 _Apr.20.2021_
+   * add test, throw error if mocked module path is not found
  * 0.3.6 _Apr.19.2021_
    * throw error if mocked module path is not found
  * 0.3.5 _Apr.18.2021_
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index a654b27d..c9935161 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {
   "name": "esmock",
-  "version": "0.3.5",
+  "version": "0.3.7",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
-      "version": "0.3.5",
+      "version": "0.3.7",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "resolvewithplus": "^0.2.0"
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
         "babel-eslint": "^10.1.0",
         "eslint": "^7.17.0",
         "form-urlencoded": "^4.2.1",
+        "import-local": "3.0.2",
         "sinon": "^10.0.0"
       }
     },
@@ -1739,6 +1740,19 @@
         "node": ">=8"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/find-up": {
+      "version": "4.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/find-up/-/find-up-4.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-PpOwAdQ/YlXQ2vj8a3h8IipDuYRi3wceVQQGYWxNINccq40Anw7BlsEXCMbt1Zt+OLA6Fq9suIpIWD0OsnISlw==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "locate-path": "^5.0.0",
+        "path-exists": "^4.0.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/flat-cache": {
       "version": "3.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/flat-cache/-/flat-cache-3.0.4.tgz",
@@ -2038,6 +2052,22 @@
         "node": ">=4"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/import-local": {
+      "version": "3.0.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/import-local/-/import-local-3.0.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-vjL3+w0oulAVZ0hBHnxa/Nm5TAurf9YLQJDhqRZyqb+VKGOB6LU8t9H1Nr5CIo16vh9XfJTOoHwU0B71S557gA==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "pkg-dir": "^4.2.0",
+        "resolve-cwd": "^3.0.0"
+      },
+      "bin": {
+        "import-local-fixture": "fixtures/cli.js"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/imurmurhash": {
       "version": "0.1.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/imurmurhash/-/imurmurhash-0.1.4.tgz",
@@ -2427,6 +2457,18 @@
         "node": ">=6"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/locate-path": {
+      "version": "5.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/locate-path/-/locate-path-5.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-t7hw9pI+WvuwNJXwk5zVHpyhIqzg2qTlklJOf0mVxGSbe3Fp2VieZcduNYjaLDoy6p9uGpQEGWG87WpMKlNq8g==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "p-locate": "^4.1.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/lodash": {
       "version": "4.17.20",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.20.tgz",
@@ -2816,6 +2858,18 @@
         "node": ">=6"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/p-locate": {
+      "version": "4.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/p-locate/-/p-locate-4.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-R79ZZ/0wAxKGu3oYMlz8jy/kbhsNrS7SKZ7PxEHBgJ5+F2mtFW2fK2cOtBh1cHYkQsbzFV7I+EoRKe6Yt0oK7A==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "p-limit": "^2.2.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/p-map": {
       "version": "4.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/p-map/-/p-map-4.0.0.tgz",
@@ -2907,6 +2961,15 @@
         "node": ">=6"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/path-exists": {
+      "version": "4.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-exists/-/path-exists-4.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ak9Qy5Q7jYb2Wwcey5Fpvg2KoAc/ZIhLSLOSBmRmygPsGwkVVt0fZa0qrtMz+m6tJTAHfZQ8FnmB4MG4LWy7/w==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/path-is-absolute": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-is-absolute/-/path-is-absolute-1.0.1.tgz",
@@ -3026,6 +3089,18 @@
         "node": ">=4"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/pkg-dir": {
+      "version": "4.2.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pkg-dir/-/pkg-dir-4.2.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-HRDzbaKjC+AOWVXxAU/x54COGeIv9eb+6CkDSQoNTt4XyWoIJvuPsXizxu/Fr23EiekbtZwmh1IcIG/l/a10GQ==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "dependencies": {
+        "find-up": "^4.0.0"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=8"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/plur": {
       "version": "4.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/plur/-/plur-4.0.0.tgz",
@@ -5407,6 +5482,16 @@
         "to-regex-range": "^5.0.1"
       }
     },
+    "find-up": {
+      "version": "4.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/find-up/-/find-up-4.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-PpOwAdQ/YlXQ2vj8a3h8IipDuYRi3wceVQQGYWxNINccq40Anw7BlsEXCMbt1Zt+OLA6Fq9suIpIWD0OsnISlw==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "locate-path": "^5.0.0",
+        "path-exists": "^4.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "flat-cache": {
       "version": "3.0.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/flat-cache/-/flat-cache-3.0.4.tgz",
@@ -5632,6 +5717,16 @@
       "integrity": "sha1-BWmOPUXIjo1+nZLLBYTnfwlvPkM=",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "import-local": {
+      "version": "3.0.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/import-local/-/import-local-3.0.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-vjL3+w0oulAVZ0hBHnxa/Nm5TAurf9YLQJDhqRZyqb+VKGOB6LU8t9H1Nr5CIo16vh9XfJTOoHwU0B71S557gA==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "pkg-dir": "^4.2.0",
+        "resolve-cwd": "^3.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "imurmurhash": {
       "version": "0.1.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/imurmurhash/-/imurmurhash-0.1.4.tgz",
@@ -5939,6 +6034,15 @@
         "type-fest": "^0.3.0"
       }
     },
+    "locate-path": {
+      "version": "5.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/locate-path/-/locate-path-5.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-t7hw9pI+WvuwNJXwk5zVHpyhIqzg2qTlklJOf0mVxGSbe3Fp2VieZcduNYjaLDoy6p9uGpQEGWG87WpMKlNq8g==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "p-locate": "^4.1.0"
+      }
+    },
     "lodash": {
       "version": "4.17.20",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/lodash/-/lodash-4.17.20.tgz",
@@ -6240,6 +6344,15 @@
         "p-try": "^2.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "p-locate": {
+      "version": "4.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/p-locate/-/p-locate-4.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-R79ZZ/0wAxKGu3oYMlz8jy/kbhsNrS7SKZ7PxEHBgJ5+F2mtFW2fK2cOtBh1cHYkQsbzFV7I+EoRKe6Yt0oK7A==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "p-limit": "^2.2.0"
+      }
+    },
     "p-map": {
       "version": "4.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/p-map/-/p-map-4.0.0.tgz",
@@ -6309,6 +6422,12 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-kHt7kzLoS9VBZfUsiKjv43mr91ea+U05EyKkEtqp7vNbHxmaVuEqN7XxeEVnGrMtYOAxGrDElSi96K7EgO1zCA==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "path-exists": {
+      "version": "4.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-exists/-/path-exists-4.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ak9Qy5Q7jYb2Wwcey5Fpvg2KoAc/ZIhLSLOSBmRmygPsGwkVVt0fZa0qrtMz+m6tJTAHfZQ8FnmB4MG4LWy7/w==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "path-is-absolute": {
       "version": "1.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/path-is-absolute/-/path-is-absolute-1.0.1.tgz",
@@ -6400,6 +6519,15 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "pkg-dir": {
+      "version": "4.2.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pkg-dir/-/pkg-dir-4.2.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-HRDzbaKjC+AOWVXxAU/x54COGeIv9eb+6CkDSQoNTt4XyWoIJvuPsXizxu/Fr23EiekbtZwmh1IcIG/l/a10GQ==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "find-up": "^4.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "plur": {
       "version": "4.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/plur/-/plur-4.0.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c6741bb7..d2177403 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "esmock",
-  "version": "0.3.6",
+  "version": "0.3.7",
   "license": "MIT",
   "readmeFilename": "README.md",
   "description": "mock esm modules for unit-tests",
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
     "babel-eslint": "^10.1.0",
     "eslint": "^7.17.0",
     "form-urlencoded": "^4.2.1",
+    "import-local": "3.0.2",
     "sinon": "^10.0.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/spec/esmock.spec.js b/spec/esmock.spec.js
index e99b5e72..db0ab1bd 100644
--- a/spec/esmock.spec.js
+++ b/spec/esmock.spec.js
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ test('should throw error if local file not found', async t => {
   });
 });
 
+test('should throw error if local definition file not found', async t => {
+  await t.throwsAsync(() => esmock('./local/not/found.js', {
+    './local/not/found.js' : {
+      createString : () => 'test string'
+    }
+  }), {
+    message : /not a valid path: \".\/local\/not\/found.js\" \(used by/
+  });
+});
 
 test('should mock a module', async t => {
   const main = await esmock('./local/mainUtil.js', {
diff --git a/src/esmockModule.js b/src/esmockModule.js
index 7dcfd302..ea1a6fd9 100644
--- a/src/esmockModule.js
+++ b/src/esmockModule.js
@@ -122,7 +122,11 @@ const esmockModulesCreate = async (pathCallee, pathModule, esmockKey, defs, keys
 
   const mockedPathFull = esmockCacheResolvedPathGetCreate(pathCallee, keys[0]);
   if (!mockedPathFull) {
-    throw new Error('not a valid path ' + pathCallee + ', ' + keys[0]);
+    pathCallee = pathCallee
+      .replace(/^\/\//, '')
+      .replace(process.cwd(), '.')
+      .replace(process.env.HOME, '~');
+    throw new Error(`not a valid path: "${keys[0]}" (used by ${pathCallee})`);
   }
 
   mocks.push(await esmockModuleCreate(