diff --git a/app/vmalert-tool/unittest/unittest.go b/app/vmalert-tool/unittest/unittest.go
index 17b9b8cc7..a4d4140ac 100644
--- a/app/vmalert-tool/unittest/unittest.go
+++ b/app/vmalert-tool/unittest/unittest.go
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@ func UnitTest(files []string, disableGroupLabel bool, externalLabels []string, e
 		logger.Fatalf("failed to load test files %q: %v", files, err)
 	}
 	if len(testfiles) == 0 {
-		fmt.Println("no test file found")
-		return false
+		logger.Fatalf("no test file found")
 	}
 
 	labels := make(map[string]string)
diff --git a/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
index afaabdec6..0dec70f48 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ See also [LTS releases](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/lts-releases/).
 * BUGFIX: [vmsingle](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/single-server-victoriametrics/), `vmselect` in [VictoriaMetrics cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/cluster-victoriametrics/): properly return result for binary operation `^` aka pow at query requests for `NaN` values. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/7359) for details.
 * BUGFIX: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): fix rendering of isolated data points on the graph that are not connected to other points.
 * BUGFIX: [vmalert](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert): improve the correctness of alert [state restoration](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert/#alerts-state-on-restarts). Previously, it could result in false-positive alerts if alert was resolved shortly before vmalert restart.
+* BUGFIX: [vmalert-tool](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert-tool/): exit immediately with error message if no test file is found under specified `-files`.
 
 ## [v1.106.1](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.106.1)