diff --git a/modules/lang/cc/autoload.el b/modules/lang/cc/autoload.el
index 35fc4b736..d14f7c28e 100644
--- a/modules/lang/cc/autoload.el
+++ b/modules/lang/cc/autoload.el
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ compilation dbs."
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun +cc|init-rtags ()
   "Start an rtags server in c-mode and c++-mode buffers."
-  (when (memq major-mode '(c-mode c++-mode))
+  (when (and (memq major-mode '(c-mode c++-mode))
+             (rtags-executable-find "rtags"))
     (rtags-start-process-unless-running)))
 
 ;;;###autoload
diff --git a/modules/lang/cc/config.el b/modules/lang/cc/config.el
index fd25c0a7b..565dc5f49 100644
--- a/modules/lang/cc/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/cc/config.el
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ compilation database is present in the project.")
 ;;
 
 (def-package! rtags
-  :commands (rtags-restart-process rtags-start-process-unless-running)
+  :commands (rtags-restart-process rtags-start-process-unless-running rtags-executable-find)
   :init
   (add-hook! (c-mode c++-mode) #'+cc|init-rtags)
   :config