diff --git a/src/haddock/modules/scoring/deeprank/deeprank.py b/src/haddock/modules/scoring/deeprank/deeprank.py
index e7c6171cee..f5da9d0972 100644
--- a/src/haddock/modules/scoring/deeprank/deeprank.py
+++ b/src/haddock/modules/scoring/deeprank/deeprank.py
@@ -10,8 +10,23 @@
 
 
 def deeprank_is_available() -> bool:
-    """Check whether the `deeprank_gnn` package is importable."""
-    import deeprank_gnn  # type: ignore  # noqa: F401
+    """Check whether deeprank-gnn-esm's requirements are met."""
+    try:
+        import sqlite3  # noqa: F401
+    except ImportError as err:
+        raise ImportError(
+            "The `deeprank` module requires a python interpreter built with "
+            "sqlite3 support, which is missing from your current "
+            "environment."
+        ) from err
+
+    try:
+        import deeprank_gnn  # type: ignore  # noqa: F401
+    except ImportError as err:
+        raise ImportError(
+            "The `deeprank` module requires the `deeprank_gnn` package, "
+            "which is not installed in your current environment."
+        ) from err
 
     return True
 
diff --git a/tests/test_module_deeprank.py b/tests/test_module_deeprank.py
index 105c870b3a..7c2eeabeef 100644
--- a/tests/test_module_deeprank.py
+++ b/tests/test_module_deeprank.py
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 """Tests for the deeprank scoring module wrapper."""
 
-import tempfile
+import builtins
 import shutil
+import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
-from haddock.modules.scoring.deeprank.deeprank import DeeprankWrapper
+from haddock.modules.scoring.deeprank.deeprank import (
+    DeeprankWrapper,
+    deeprank_is_available,
+)
 
 from . import golden_data as GOLDEN_DATA
 from .conftest import has_deeprank
@@ -43,6 +47,22 @@ def deeprank_wrapper_ensemble():
         )
 
 
+def test_deeprank_is_available_requires_sqlite3(monkeypatch):
+    """Must raise a clear error when the interpreter lacks sqlite3 support."""
+    real_import = builtins.__import__
+
+    # mock not being able to find `sqlite3`
+    def fake_import(name, *args, **kwargs):
+        if name == "sqlite3":
+            raise ImportError("No module named '_sqlite3'")
+        return real_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(builtins, "__import__", fake_import)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ImportError, match="sqlite3"):
+        deeprank_is_available()
+
+
 @has_deeprank
 def test_run(deeprank_wrapper):
     """`run()` must return the score for the single input model."""