diff --git a/kittens/command_palette/main.go b/kittens/command_palette/main.go
index ee84bf52a..bb1b59cab 100644
--- a/kittens/command_palette/main.go
+++ b/kittens/command_palette/main.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/cli"
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/fzf"
+	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/tty"
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/tui"
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/tui/loop"
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/wcswidth"
@@ -621,6 +622,9 @@ func (h *Handler) triggerSelected() {
 }
 
 func main(cmd *cli.Command, opts *Options, args []string) (rc int, err error) {
+	if tty.IsTerminal(os.Stdin.Fd()) {
+		return 1, fmt.Errorf("This kitten must only be run via a mapping in kitty.conf")
+	}
 	output := tui.KittenOutputSerializer()
 	lp, err := loop.New()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/kittens/command_palette/main.py b/kittens/command_palette/main.py
index 86e5b81b1..2dfe389d5 100644
--- a/kittens/command_palette/main.py
+++ b/kittens/command_palette/main.py
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ def collect_keys_data(opts: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
 
 def main(args: list[str]) -> None:
-    raise SystemExit('This must be run as kitten command-palette')
+    raise SystemExit('This kitten must be used only from a kitty.conf mapping')
 
 
 @result_handler(has_ready_notification=True)