diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommand.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommand.java
index 403816aafa8..dea6fcba312 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommand.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommand.java
@@ -418,6 +418,18 @@ class InstallPluginCommand extends EnvironmentAwareCommand {
     private PluginInfo verify(Terminal terminal, Path pluginRoot, boolean isBatch, Environment env) throws Exception {
         // read and validate the plugin descriptor
         PluginInfo info = PluginInfo.readFromProperties(pluginRoot);
+
+        // checking for existing version of the plugin
+        final Path destination = env.pluginsFile().resolve(info.getName());
+        if (Files.exists(destination)) {
+            final String message = String.format(
+                Locale.ROOT,
+                "plugin directory [%s] already exists; if you need to update the plugin, uninstall it first using command 'remove %s'",
+                destination.toAbsolutePath(),
+                info.getName());
+            throw new UserException(ExitCodes.CONFIG, message);
+        }
+
         terminal.println(VERBOSE, info.toString());
 
         // don't let user install plugin as a module...
@@ -471,14 +483,7 @@ class InstallPluginCommand extends EnvironmentAwareCommand {
 
         try {
             PluginInfo info = verify(terminal, tmpRoot, isBatch, env);
-
             final Path destination = env.pluginsFile().resolve(info.getName());
-            if (Files.exists(destination)) {
-                throw new UserException(
-                    ExitCodes.USAGE,
-                    "plugin directory " + destination.toAbsolutePath() +
-                        " already exists. To update the plugin, uninstall it first using 'remove " + info.getName() + "' command");
-            }
 
             Path tmpBinDir = tmpRoot.resolve("bin");
             if (Files.exists(tmpBinDir)) {
diff --git a/qa/evil-tests/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommandTests.java b/qa/evil-tests/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommandTests.java
index 96e64e5c888..5ea91eae394 100644
--- a/qa/evil-tests/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommandTests.java
+++ b/qa/evil-tests/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/plugins/InstallPluginCommandTests.java
@@ -60,19 +60,17 @@ import java.nio.file.attribute.PosixFileAttributes;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.PosixFilePermission;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.UserPrincipal;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.zip.ZipEntry;
 import java.util.zip.ZipOutputStream;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsInAnyOrder;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
 
 @LuceneTestCase.SuppressFileSystems("*")
@@ -673,6 +671,18 @@ public class InstallPluginCommandTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertThat(terminal.getOutput(), not(containsString("100%")));
     }
 
+    public void testPluginAlreadyInstalled() throws Exception {
+        Tuple<Path, Environment> env = createEnv(fs, temp);
+        Path pluginDir = createPluginDir(temp);
+        String pluginZip = createPlugin("fake", pluginDir);
+        installPlugin(pluginZip, env.v1());
+        final UserException e = expectThrows(UserException.class, () -> installPlugin(pluginZip, env.v1(), randomBoolean()));
+        assertThat(
+            e.getMessage(),
+            equalTo("plugin directory [" + env.v2().pluginsFile().resolve("fake") + "] already exists; " +
+                "if you need to update the plugin, uninstall it first using command 'remove fake'"));
+    }
+
     private void installPlugin(MockTerminal terminal, boolean isBatch) throws Exception {
         Tuple<Path, Environment> env = createEnv(fs, temp);
         Path pluginDir = createPluginDir(temp);